Aretas Connects Vol. 10 | The Unsung Heroes

Why Your Warm-up and Cool-down Matter

July 11, 2025

Hey Aretas Performance Community,

You commit to your workouts, push your limits, and work hard to achieve your goals. But are you truly maximizing your efforts and safeguarding your body for the long haul? Often, the most overlooked yet crucial parts of any effective training session are its bookends: the warm-up and the cool-down.

At Aretas Performance, we believe that optimizing your movement and recovery isn't just about the main event. It's about respecting your body's physiology and setting yourself up for peak performance and sustained health. Let's dive into why these "unsung heroes" deserve your full attention.

Your Warm-up

Think of your warm-up as preparing your body and mind for battle – or, in our case, for optimal movement. It's not just a casual stroll; it's a strategic sequence designed to get you ready.

What a Proper Warm-up Does:

  • Increases Blood Flow & Muscle Temperature: Gently elevates your core temperature, making muscles more pliable and ready for action, reducing the risk of strains.

  • Activates Your Nervous System: "Wakes up" the communication between your brain and muscles, improving coordination, reaction time, and power output.

  • Enhances Mobility: Moves your joints through their full range of motion, improving flexibility and reducing stiffness, allowing for better form during your workout.

  • Mental Readiness: Helps you transition from daily distractions to focused training, improving concentration and motivation.

What to Include: Aim for 5-10 minutes of light cardio (like a brisk walk or bike ride) followed by dynamic stretches – movements that take your joints through their full range of motion (e.g., leg swings, arm circles, torso twists). This prepares your body specifically for the movements you're about to perform.

Your Cool-down

Once the main workout is done, it's tempting to rush off. But skipping your cool-down is like forgetting to turn off the engine after a long drive – it shortchanges your recovery and adaptation.

What a Proper Cool-down Does:

  • Aids Recovery & Reduces Soreness: Gradually brings your heart rate and breathing back to resting levels, helping to clear metabolic byproducts from your muscles and potentially reducing delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).

  • Improves Flexibility & Range of Motion: Gentle static stretching (holding stretches for 20-30 seconds) while your muscles are warm can improve long-term flexibility.

  • Calms the Nervous System: Transitions your body from a state of "fight or flight" (during exercise) to "rest and digest," promoting relaxation and better sleep.

What to Include: Dedicate 5-10 minutes to light activity (e.g., slow walking or cycling) followed by static stretching, focusing on the muscle groups you just worked. Incorporate some diaphragmatic breathing to further calm your system.

The Cost of Skipping Your Warm-Up or Cool-Down

Ignoring your warm-up and cool-down can lead to:

  • Increased Injury Risk: Cold, unprepared muscles are more susceptible to strains and tears.

  • Subpar Performance: You won't be able to lift as much, run as fast, or move as efficiently if your body isn't primed.

  • Slower Recovery: Your body's ability to repair and adapt is hindered, meaning you might feel more fatigued and sore for longer.

  • Stiffness & Reduced Mobility: Over time, consistently skipping these phases can lead to a gradual loss of flexibility and range of motion.

Integrate & Thrive with Aretas Performance

At Aretas Performance, we integrate strategic warm-ups and cool-downs into all our programming. We don't just tell you to do them; we teach you the right way to do them, tailoring movements to your body and your specific training goals.

In fact, your warm-up should often feel like a seamless part of your workout, actively preparing your body for the specific power and demands to come. A warm-up that feels completely separate might actually be taking away from the performance and force generation you want to achieve in your main session.

Mastering these bookends is a vital step toward enhancing your athletic performance, accelerating your recovery, and ensuring you can continue to move well for years to come.

Ready to optimize every aspect of your training? Our expert coaches can help you build a comprehensive plan that includes smart warm-ups and cool-downs tailored just for you. You can easily schedule your next session or discovery call with our coaches through our new online booking system (details below!).

ICYMI: Your New Streamlined Booking System is Live!

We recently launched our updated online booking system on July 1st to make scheduling your personalized training and nutrition sessions even easier. For full details on the new system, check out our dedicated launch email here.

You can now easily book directly with your coach:

Other Aretas Updates & Community News

We're keeping the energy high this summer and have some exciting news for you!

  • Fall Sports Prep: Summer means we’re already gearing up for fall sports! If you're looking for sport-specific training programs to get ahead for the upcoming season, email Drake for personalized options.

  • Rooted Nutrition Success: We’ve received fantastic feedback about our new Rooted Nutrition coaching! Don't miss out on fueling your performance. Check out the Rooted Nutrition website here and remember your exclusive Aretas promo code (ARETAS) for 20% off your first monthly membership payment. Or, commit to long-term success and get your first month FREE when you sign up for a 6-month or 12-month add-on plan (available for current Aretas Physical Therapy or Aretas Performance clients).

  • Golf Fitness at The Wisconsin Club: Aretas Performance, in conjunction with Catalyst Golf, is officially heading up the golf fitness and performance programs at The Wisconsin Club Country Club (TWCCC)! We're excited to elevate every golfer's game with dynamic junior and adult camps, precise movement screens, and specialized performance training. For full details, email Mitch.

  • Rise & Grind on the Beach: Our Rise & Grind workouts are going strong, and we're having a blast on Bradford Beach! For a fun, effective outdoor workout, join Mitch and Volley Life on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 7:00 AM. Check out the website here for more details and to register.

  • Drake's Speed Camp Kicks Off! Don't miss out on Drake's highly anticipated Speed Camp for high school athletes, designed to develop explosive power, agility, and speed. Camp times are Monday and Friday mornings at 7:00 AM and 8:30 AM, running from June 16th to September 5th. Sign up here!

  • Women’s Performance Updates: Expanded Offerings & Flexibility! We've enhanced our women's performance programs to offer even more value and convenience. We've streamlined scheduling and made session times more available, added more value to your membership, lowered the single session cost, and introduced specialized pre- and postnatal coaching with our Bump to Baby Strength offering. You can now easily schedule for Bump to Baby, Perimenopause Power, and OsteoStrong programs right here. 

We're passionate about helping every athlete reach their peak performance, and every individual thrive. Thank you for being a valued part of the Aretas Performance community.

In Excellence,

The Aretas Performance Team