The Real Benefits of Your Post-Workout Cool Down - AI Podcast

Dr. Joseph Mercola - Take Control of Your Health

Briana Mercola

Health & Fitness, Health, Alternative Health

4.6 • 1.5K Ratings

🗓️ 28 May 2025

⏱️ 10 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

Story at-a-glance

Cooling down after exercise is not essential for everyone, but it offers benefits for blood pressure regulation and circulation, especially for older adults, people with heart conditions, or anyone finishing strenuous exercise
Research shows cooling down doesn’t measurably reduce soreness or boost performance, but it helps the body shift out of effort more smoothly and comfortably, similar to gradually braking a car
Active cooldowns, such as brisk walking or cycling at low intensity, are more effective than complete rest for clearing lactate, improving mobility, and reducing exercise-induced immune suppression
People who train at night or under chronic stress, as well as those doing intense training, benefit most from cooldowns as they help regulate the nervous system and support better sleep
If you’re stretching during cooldowns, I recommend doing active isolated stretching (AIS) instead of static ones. Focus on a gentle range of motion within your comfort zone rather than forced stretching

Transcript

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0:00.0	Welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. Stay informed with quick, easy-to-listen
0:06.1	summaries of our latest articles, perfect for when you're on the go. No reading required.
0:10.5	Subscribe for free at Mercola.com for the latest health insights. Have you ever finished an intense
0:16.6	workout? Check the time? And skip those last slow laps because you thought they wouldn't
0:21.4	change anything? Hello, and welcome to Dr. Mercola's cellular wisdom. I'm Ethan Foster,
0:27.8	and today we're asking whether cooling down after exercise genuinely matters for your health.
0:33.3	Cooling down sounds simple, yet you hear mixed messages. Some trainers insist it completes your workout.
0:40.2	Others shrug it off.
0:41.9	We're going to clear that up.
0:43.5	I'm Alara Sky, and together we'll unpack the evidence, outline who benefits,
0:48.3	and help you decide how those final minutes can serve you.
0:51.3	Let's start with the basics.
0:52.5	When people say cool down, what exactly are they
0:55.6	doing? Are we talking about a leisurely stroll, stretching on the mat, or just sitting to scroll your
1:01.0	phone? Give us a working definition so listeners can picture the practice before judging its value.
1:07.0	A cool down is brief. Guided movement performed right after your main effort. Think five to
1:12.1	ten minutes of light jogging, brisk walking, or easy cycling. The goal is to let your heart rate,
1:18.0	blood pressure, and breathing drift back toward baseline instead of slamming from high gear to full stop.
1:23.6	Many of our listeners care about results. They want less soreness tomorrow and strong performance
1:28.8	next session. Research suggests cool-downs don't reliably deliver those perks. Could you explain
1:34.8	what the studies reveal about muscle soreness and performance when people skip or include
1:39.9	a traditional cool-down?
	...

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