3 important elements to ANY workout

Whether you do Pilates, Crossfit, yoga, swimming, or running, the 3 essential segments to any workout are warm-up, cool-down, and recovery.

WARM-UP: The length of time necessary to warm-up is dependent upon what activity is going to follow.  It consists of dynamic stretching - not holding any one stretch for more than 5 seconds. For a typical all-over barre workout, 5-7 minutes is ideal to get your blood flowing, heart pumping, breath in tune with your movements, and most importantly, your joints lubricated. Research shows most sports injuries involve joints. Joints are made up of fluids, ligaments, tendons, cartilage and other tissues depending on the function of the joint. Allowing your joints to move more easily is a key factor in keeping you exercising safely and effectively!

There is research coming out that says static stretching before or during your workout (let's say you really stretch your quads after an intense segment at the barre) may impair or weaken that muscle group for the rest of your workout! So don't hold those beginning or mid-workout stretches- make them quick, tension-releasing movements such as walking or  knee-to-chest for lower body and quick, big arm circles for upper body.

COOL-DOWN: Similarly to the warm-up, the length of the cool-down is dependent on the activity that you just finished. And if the workout you just finished had a lot of cardio, not allowing your body to cool down could lead to blood pooling in your legs and getting light-headed. Stretching during your cool-down will be primarily static stretching - holding a stretch for 20-30 seconds. Post-workout is when you will be most flexible because your muscles are warm and pliable. Releasing the tension from your muscles feels great at the end of your workout so don't skimp on it.

RECOVERY: Finally, perhaps the most overlooked and often neglected part of working out is the recovery phase. You've just put a lot of stress on your system, give it a rest! And the moment you do is exactly when the real magic starts to happen. It's during the recovery that your muscles get stronger, your endurance increases, and your metabolism quickens. Like the other components mentioned, the length of your recovery depends on the activity that you've just finished but also your fitness level. Your recovery time will decrease if you are already pretty darn fit.

Active recovery can satisfy those of us who absolutely have to do something physically active every day, like taking a walk, easy bike ride, or taking a Level 1 Pilates class are all good examples of active recovery.

Bottom line: your warm-up is to get your juices flowing, cool-down is to reduce tension and increase flexibility, and your recovery is to gain strength, repair, and get adequate rest for your next workout!