Step Nine - Rest!

Recovery, relaxation

Energy renewed

Self healing

Take time for you and take care of your body

It is essential to give your body time to recover from the demands placed upon it. This is a time that can help renew energy, help your body repair itself, and get you ready to workout again. Take one day per week and rest from demanding physical activity.

Just Enjoy!

If stretching felt so great as a newborn, why aren't we doing it now?

Stretching, in its most basic form, is a natural and instinctive activity; it is performed by many animals including humans. It can be accompanied by yawning. Stretching often occurs instinctively after waking from sleep, after long periods of inactivity, or after exiting confined spaces and areas. (Wikipedia)

Step Eight - Stretch

The last part of designing a workout is to add in a stretching regimen.  Follow the above illustations and hold each stretch for 10-30 seconds.   Stretching should be done after the main part of your workout as part of your cool down.  Following a regualr stretching program will increase your flexibility and decrease the chance of injury!

Just Keep Swimming!

Step Seven - Cool Down

Many times we forget to add a cool down to our workout.  A cool down can be pretty simple,  walking or jogging slow to get our heart rate back down closer to our resting heart rate.  A cool down after a hard workout also helps your muscles recover faster and helps you stay injury free.

Your cool down should last from 5 - 10 minutes in length but should not be counted in your workout time.    A typical workout should look like this:

Warm-up: 5-10 min
Light Stretching
Workout:  20 - 40 min.
Cool Down: 5-10 min.
Stretching

Total Time to exercise:  30-60 min.