Level 2 Exercise, Welfare & Health

Unit 1 – Introduction to exercise

Lesson 1.3 – Components of an exercise programme

Level 2 Exercise, Welfare & Health
Lesson 1.3 Components of an exercise programme

Step 1 – Introduction

In the following lessons we'll discuss what should happen before, during and after
an exercise session. The sequence is as follows:

1. Warm-up (pulse raiser)

2. Mobilisation of the joints
3. Pre-stretches
4. Main exercise session (cardiovascular and muscular strength and
endurance)
5. Cool-down (pulse lowerer)
6. Post-stretches
7. Relaxation

In this lesson, we will look at the warm up, mobilisation of joints, cool-down and
relaxation.

Step 2 – Warming up

Before exercising, it's important to warm up the body. This aids the performer in
preparing physiologically and psychologically for exercises and reduces the
chance of joint and muscle injury.

Specifically, warming up entails exercising the large muscle groups. Doing this will
gradually increase the body's temperature and heart rate. The warm-up should be
intensive enough to perhaps cause perspiration but not to cause fatigue.

Why do you think it is important to warm up before exercise?

Try to think of three specific effects you think that warming up has on the body and
then move on to the next step to see if your ideas agree with what we have
written.

Step 3 – Warming up

Warm-up exercises help to:

 Improve neural function and co-ordination

 Ensure that the demand made on the circulatory, respiratory and metabolic
systems is gradual, and gradually increases the heart rate
 Protect the major joints because it takes time to increase the supply of
lubricating synovial fluid and to thicken the articular cartilages - the body's
shock absorbers
 Increase the rate of oxygen delivery to the muscles and speed up many of
the processes associated with exercise metabolism
 Increase the temperature of the body, which increases the speed and force
of muscular contractions because nerve impulses travel faster at higher
body temperatures, and muscles become less stiff and more 'pliable'

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Level 2 Exercise, Welfare & Health
Lesson 1.3 Components of an exercise programme

 Allow blood to be diverted away, gradually and therefore safely, from other
parts of the body such as the digestive system to the muscles being
exercised
 Increase the blood flow to the working muscles, which can raise the flow of
oxygen to the muscle cells

Step 4 – Warming up

The aim of the warm-up is to prepare the body (and the mind) for the more
energetic demands to come. Warm-ups need to be appropriate to the age range
and fitness level of the participants. This would normally last for 5-10 minutes in
duration, depending on the intensity of the session to follow.

Also, the type of warm-up needs to be appropriate for the activity planned. For
example, a tennis player will require a different type of warm-up to a runner, due to
the different joints and muscles that will be used in the activity.

Step 5 – Activity

‘Warming up also prepares the exerciser psychologically’

How would you explain this statement? Have a think about this, then select the
correct options to fill the gaps from the words below.

 mind  muscle  relaxation time

 muscles  cooling down  motivation
 mental  exercise

Warming up provides an opportunity to focus the ____________ reduce

__________ tension prior to ____________, as well as providing ____________
to the participant.
Feedback: Warming up provides an opportunity to focus the mind reduce mental
tension prior to exercise, as well as providing motivation to the participant.

Step 6 – Mobilising the joints

We need to mobilise the major joints during the warm-up to increase the active
range of movement at the joints and to increase the supply of synovial fluid. These
'loosening exercises' often involve gentle, controlled circumduction movements at
joints such as the ankle, hip, shoulders and so on. All movements should be small
to start with, and should gradually increase in range.

The joints to be mobilised are the ones that will be used during the exercise to be
performed. For example, a man on a treadmill won't need to mobilise his upper
body, whereas an exercise to music class will need to be taken through routines
that mobilise all the relevant joints.

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Level 2 Exercise, Welfare & Health
Lesson 1.3 Components of an exercise programme

You will learn more about mobilisation exercises at your practical workshop.

It is following mobilisation that you would encourage your clients to undertake pre-
stretches. You will learn more about these in the next lesson.

Step 7 – The cool-down

Cooling down after an exercise session is perhaps given less consideration than
warming up beforehand. Why is it important to go through a cooling down period
following exercise? Try to think of at least two reasons.

The aim of the cool-down is to decrease the intensity of the aerobic section of the
exercise session and return the body to a state of rest.

The effects of cooling down are:

 Reducing the blood lactic acid levels

 Preventing fainting, by ensuring that the brain continues to receive a
sufficient supply of blood and oxygen
 Bringing the heart rate back down, gradually
 Preventing blood pooling: returning the blood back to the heart rather than
allowing it to pool in the muscles that have been worked

Step 8 – The cool-down

The key word in cooling down is 'gradual'. The aim is to bring the intensity of the
aerobic component down slowly and progressively.

If you are running a class, you should tell them that you are starting to bring the
intensity down. This will have the psychological effect of preparing the participants
to slow down.

The movements used should be similar to those used in a warm-up. Lower body
movements should continue longer than upper body moves in order to aid venous
return to the heart.

There are two more points:

 It's a good idea to ask participants to monitor their heart rate and to check
that pulse rates are decreasing
 Emphasise breathing techniques: deep and regular will help to slow down
the heart rate

Once you have completed the cool down you would perform a series of post
stretches with your clients stretching all the major muscles used in the exercise
session. You will learn more about post stretches in the next lesson.

We will look at heart rate monitoring in the next section.

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Level 2 Exercise, Welfare & Health
Lesson 1.3 Components of an exercise programme

Step 9 – Relaxation

At the end of a vigorous exercise session, and a gradual cool-down, a period of

relaxation should be encouraged. This will give the participants a chance to de-
stress the parts of their bodies they have just been working.

Step 10 – Activity

Place the following components of an exercise session in the correct chronological

sequence.

Mobilise the joints

Relaxation
Cool-down
Warm-up
Pre-stretch
Post stretch
Main exercise session

Feedback:
1. Warm-up
2. Mobilise the joints
3. Pre-stretch
4. Main exercise session
5. Cool-down
6. Post stretch
7. Relaxation

Step 11 – Activity

What joint would you need to ensure you mobilise for a lower body workout?

 Neck
 Shoulders
 Knees

Feedback: The joints that need mobilising are those joints that will be used during
the exercise session. In the case of the lower body workout that would include the
hips, knees and ankles.

Step 12 – Activity Note: this activity can only be completed online.

What are the main effects on the body of cooling down after exercise? Select the
correct four options from the list.

 The heart rate raises

 Preventing blood pooling - returning the blood back to the heart rather than
allowing it to pool in the muscles that have been worked

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Level 2 Exercise, Welfare & Health
Lesson 1.3 Components of an exercise programme

 Bringing the heart rate back down, gradually

 Body temperature increases
 Preventing fainting by ensuring that the brain continues to receive a
sufficient supply of blood and oxygen
 The heart rate is maintained
 Reducing the blood lactic acid levels, thus helping to speed up recovery
from tiredness

Step 13 – Summary

The sequence for exercise sessions should be as follows: warm-up, mobilise the
joints, pre-stretches, main exercise session, cool-down, post-stretches, relaxation.

By warming up, exercisers:

 Increase the blood flow to the working muscles

 Increase the speed and force of muscular contractions
 Gradually increase the heart rate
 Allow blood to be safely diverted away from other parts of the body
 Protects the major joints by mobilising them

Cooling down has the effect of:

 Preventing blood pooling

 Bringing the heart rate back down, gradually
 Preventing fainting
 Reducing the blood lactic acid levels

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