Cooling Down
Active Lifestyle 
Consult your physician before starting any diet and/or exercise plan.
Just as you should set aside time for warming up prior to doing any kind of exercise, making sure you cool down is important as well. Cooling down after exercise can help return your breathing and heart rate to normal levels, limit feelings of light headedness that you may get when quickly stopping after exercising at a challenging level, and decrease the chance of stiffness or soreness.
Cooling Down Tips
- To cool down from a good cardio workout, gradually lower your heart rate to between approximately 85 to 95 beats per minute (which is approaching normal resting levels).
- If you are exercising with weights, cooling down can be as simple as doing your last set at a very light weight, followed by 5 to 10 minutes of very light cardio. Use the heart rate as noted above as a measure.
- After your breathing and/or heart rate have returned to near normal levels, you should perform the appropriate stretches.
