Clean Run Magazine - April 2007 - 49

The Cool Down As important as the warm-up is the cool down. This regimen should be performed at the cessation or end of the performance activity. Nothing makes me cringe more than to watch a dog and handler have a great run, and then the dog is hurried back to his crate, given a cookie, and immediately confined. No matter what activity humans perform—track and field, marathons, soccer—there is some element of cool down. When to Do Your Cool Down The cool-down program should be performed after each run. It should occur no more than 20 minutes after activity at the most. Ideally, the cooldown routine should be done within 10 minutes after ending the performance activity. ➜ Stretching: Cool down is one of the more favorable times to stretch because the muscles are still warm. Also try to perform this in a relaxed environment, away from the excitement. Benefits of a Cool Down The cool down serves the following purposes: • Gradually reduces the heart rate and respiration or breathing to normal • Assists in preparing the muscles for the next exercise session, whether it is later that day, the next day, or the next week • Removes lactic acid and other waste products from the muscles; the build up of lactic acid causes muscle soreness • Decreases muscle temperature Lack of a proper cool down can lead to problems with stiffness and muscle soreness. Think about a recent activity you performed—gardening, shoveling snow, washing the car, moving boxes—and instead of cooling down, you sat in a chair to watch television, have a drink, or just relax. We have all done it. And then when we tried get up, we experienced significant soreness in our back, neck, legs, and so on. We allowed the body to abruptly stop working without removing the waste products and without stretching. The Three Essential Parts of a Cool Down The cool-down period should consist of the following phases: ➜ A slow jog or a walk for 5 to 10 minutes: Take the dog away from the agility area to allow his body to calm down and also allow the heart and respiratory rate to decrease. The continued excitement of the agility venue may maintain an elevated heart rate. If it is after a training class, take the dog outside and walk him around. ➜ Regulate and hydrate: If you are in a warm climate, or the temperature is very warm, spend more time cooling down the dog. Provide a cool and well-ventilated area to relax; you may perform stretching in the same area. Make sure to provide water for the dog, but do not let the dog gulp down too much water in the heat. And on the flip side of the weather, if it is extremely cold outside, remember that dogs need water just as much in cold weather as in warm. Providing a proper cool down and then making sure the dog has a warm resting spot is as important in cold conditions as it is to make sure the dog stays cool in the hot weather. Warm-up and cool-down exercises are an important component of any performance dog’s protocol. Performing these exercises on a regular basis is crucial and the routine should become habitual. The results will only be positive for both you and your dog. D 1 2 American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. The recommended quantity and quality of exercise for developing and maintaining respiratory and muscular fitness, and flexibility in healthy adults. Fradkin AJ, Gabbe BJ, Cameron PA. Does warming up prevent injury in sport? The evidence from randomized controlled studies. J Sci Med Sport 2006 Jun; 9(3)214-20. 3 McMorris T, Swain J, Lauder M, Smith N, Kelly j. Warm-up prior to undertaking a dynamic psychomotor task: does it aid performance. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2006 Jun; 46(2): 328-34. 4 McNeal JR, Sands WA. Stretching for performance enhancement. Curr Sports Med Rep. 2006 May; 5(3): 141-6. 5 Faigenbaum AD, Belluci M, Bernieri A, Bakker B, Hoorens K. Acute effects of different warm-up protocols on fitness performance in children. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 May; 19(2): 376-81. 6 Young WB, Behm DG. Effects of running, static stretching and practice jumps on explosive force production and jumping performance. J Sports Med Phys Fitness. 2003 Mar; 43(1): 21-7. Debbie Gross Saunders is a licensed physical therapist and a certified canine rehabilitation practitioner with over 15 years of experience in the field. She and her husband also have a rehabilitation and training center on their farm in Connecticut where they specialize in the rehabilitation, nutrition, and conditioning of dogs. Her book Canine Physical Therapy is available from www.wizardofpaws.net as is her quarterly newsletter, Wizard of Paws, which features the latest in exercise and rehabilitation. Debbie has also produced three DVDs with Clean Run: Stretching the Performance Dog, Strengthening the Performance Dog, and Get on the Ball. Contact Debbie at wizofpaws@aol.com April 07 | Clean Run 49

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Clean Run Magazine - April 2007

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Clean Run Magazine - April 2007