Workout Basics: Warm-Ups & Cool-Downs

February 3, 2021

By Nick Parkinson, M.Ed., AT, ATC, TSAC-F
Henry Ford Health Systems

You may know a good warm-up — and cool-down — are essential to getting a good workout. You may also know that warming up your muscles and stretching them out after exercise can help prevent injury and keep you at the top of your game.

They’re the two bookends that help maximize a workout. Unfortunately, a lot of exercise enthusiasts don’t know how to warm up and cool down correctly.

Warm-Up Basics

A warm-up is exactly what it sounds like: The goal is to warm up your muscles and prepare your body for whatever you’re asking it to do. Warming up increases your body temperature and helps blood flow to the muscles that you’re using.

So if you’re going to play soccer, your warm-up should touch all of the muscles in your legs and core. Shooting hoops? You’ll need to add shoulders and arms to your routine. Circuit training at the gym? Choose a warm-up that flexes all of the muscles you’re about to use.

The thing that all warm-ups have in common is that they require dynamic (or constantly moving) motion, not static stretching (holding poses for a certain amount of time). In fact, static stretching prior to a workout can inhibit power and strength, especially if you’re doing something like weightlifting.

The anatomy of a solid warm-up:

• Before any activity, do about 10 minutes of light cardiovascular activity, whether walking, biking or jogging.

• Dynamic stretches. After you get your muscles moving, do a series of lunges, jumping jacks or toe touches to stretch a bit.

• Dive in. When you start your workout, begin slowly and gradually increase power and speed.

Cool-Down Basics

After you’ve put your body through a challenge, a good cool-down is essential. It helps slow down your heart rate gradually, relax your muscles and stretch them out.

Cool-down routines should always include some type of motion before you get to static stretching, especially if you’ve just finished a high-intensity workout. Static stretching improves flexibility and performance and it can also help stave off future injury.

As with warm-ups, the right cool-down exercises depend on the activity you engaged in. If you biked for 20 miles, you might coast on your cycle for a while before coming to a stop. If you ran, you might jog or walk before you begin stretching. As with your warm-up, the key is addressing every muscle group you worked during your workout.

The anatomy of a solid cool-down:

• At the end of your workout, slow the pace and intensity of whatever activity you’re doing. So, if you’re running, slow to a jog and then a walk for 5 to 10 minutes before stopping.

Stretch out the muscles you work, but don’t push past the point where you feel tight. Then, hold the position for at least 30 seconds. That’s how long it takes for the body to overcome its stretch reflex.

• Breathe through your stretches and make sure to finish your cool-down with deep, belly breaths.

Running short on time? Target muscle groups you may have injured in the past or that tend to get sore after activity. Cooling down will preserve your athleticism — and your ability to participate in daily activities — over the long term.

Be Good to Your Body

While there’s some controversy about whether warming up and cooling down can help prevent injury, there’s little dispute that they can help you ease in and out of activity.

The key is to find something that works for you. Your warm-up could be as simple as walking to the gym and doing a set of jumping jacks when you arrive. Your cool-down might just involve ending your workout 10 minutes early so you can slow down.

It doesn’t have to be complicated. It just has to give your heart and blood vessels a chance to breathe before and after activity.

Nick Parkinson, M.Ed., AT, ATC, TSAC-F, is the Supervisor of Athletic Training with Henry Ford Sports Medicine and also leads Sports Performance training at the William Clay Ford Center for Athletic Medicine. Learn more about Nick.

Want to learn more? Henry Ford Health System sports medicine experts are treating the whole athlete, in a whole new way. From nutrition to neurology, and from injury prevention to treatment of sports-related conditions, they can give your athlete a unique game plan.

Visit henryford.com/sports or call (313) 972-4216.

Century of School Sports: From Nearly A to Z, Schools Repped by 221 Nicknames

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

May 20, 2025

Combine all the Bronchos, Cubs, Loggers, Purple Hornets and Tractors running around Michigan’s sports fields on any given day, and they still would have some work to catch up with the wide scattering of Eagles representing their Michigan high schools across the state.

There are a combined 221 mascots representing the MHSAA’s 754 member high schools this 2024-25 school year.

A total of 127 schools have a mascot reserved all to themselves, including those five listed above – Holly (Bronchos), Detroit U-D Jesuit (Cubs), Boyne Falls (Loggers), L’Anse (Purple Hornets) and Dearborn Fordson (Tractors).

And then there are the Eagles. A total of 48 schools are represented by the fearsome birds of prey, and that’s not counting the Golden Eagles (Brooklyn Columbia Central), Aztec Eagles (Detroit Cesar Chavez Academy) and Soaring Eagles (Hannahville Nah Tah Wahsh).

The next-most popular nickname – Panthers – is adorned by 28 schools, followed by 26 Bulldogs, 23 Vikings and 22 Wildcats. Rounding out the top 10 are Falcons and Cougars (both 20 schools), Trojans (19), and Tigers and Warriors (both 18). The Mustangs (15 schools), Pilots (11) and Comets, Lakers and Spartans (10) also reach double digits.

There have been several mascot changes of late as a number of schools have moved away from Native American names and imagery. Those have resulted in a few new sets of Red Devils, Red Wolves/Wolves, and RedHawks/Red Hawks as the most popular selections among those making a switch.

Another fun fact: Every letter but “U” and “X” start at least one MHSAA member high school nickname.

Big assist to the Quakers (Lansing Eastern) and Zebras (Wayne Memorial) for cutting down that list – and keep an eye out for Underdogs and Xylophones coming to a school near you.

Previous "Century of School Sports" Spotlights

May 13: These Record-Setters were Nearly Impossible to Defeat - Read
May 6:
200+ Representatives Fill All-Time Council Roster - Read
April 29:
MHSAA Programs Prioritize Health & Safety - Read
April 23:
Patches Signify Registered Officials' Role in MHSAA Story - Read
April 16:
Student Advisory Council Gives Voice to Athletes - Read
April 9:
State's Storytellers Share Spring Memories - Read
April 2:
Sharp Leadership Synonymous with MHSAA Success - Read
March 25:
Athletic Directors Indispensable to Mission of School Sports - Read
March 18:
2025 Finals Begin Next Half-Century of Girls Hoops Championships - Read
March 11:
Boys Basketball's Best 1st to Earn MHSAA Finals Titles - Read
March 5:
Everything We Do Begins with Participation - Read
Feb. 25:
Slogans & Logos Remain Unforgettable Parts of MHSAA History - Read
Feb. 19:
MHSAA Tickets Continue to Provide Fan-Friendly Value - Read
Feb. 11:
We Recognize Those Who Make Our Games Go - Read
Feb. 4:
WISL Conference Continues to Inspire Aspiring Leaders - Read
Jan. 28:
Michigan's National Impact Begins at NFHS' Start - Read
Jan. 21:
Awards Celebrate Well-Rounded Educational Experience - Read
Jan. 14:
Predecessors Laid Foundation for MHSAA's Formation - Read
Jan. 9:
MHSAA Blazes Trail Into Cyberspace - Read
Dec. 31: 
State's Storytellers Share Winter Memories - Read
Dec. 17: 
MHSAA Over Time - Read
Dec. 10:
On This Day, December 13, We Will Celebrate - Read
Dec. 3:
MHSAA Work Guided by Representative Council - Read
Nov. 26: 
Finals Provide Future Pros Early Ford Field Glory - Read
Nov. 19:
Connection at Heart of Coaches Advancement Program - Read
Nov. 12:
Good Sports are Winners Then, Now & Always - Read
Nov. 5:
MHSAA's Home Sweet Home - Read
Oct. 29:
MHSAA Summits Draw Thousands to Promote Sportsmanship - Read
Oct. 23:
Cross Country Finals Among MHSAA's Longest Running - Read
Oct. 15:
State's Storytellers Share Fall Memories - Read
Oct. 8:
Guided by 4 S's of Educational Athletics - Read
Oct. 1:
Michigan Sends 10 to National Hall of Fame - Read
Sept. 25: MHSAA Record Books Filled with 1000s of Achievements - Read
Sept. 18:
Why Does the MHSAA Have These Rules? - Read
Sept. 10: 
Special Medals, Patches to Commemorate Special Year - Read
Sept. 4:
Fall to Finish with 50th Football Championships - Read
Aug. 28:
Let the Celebration Begin - Read