This is a key part of any session. Here we provide a bit more help and advice than we do on the main areas of the website to try to give you a bit more structure to your cool down.

During training your muscles will work hard and as a result will produce waste products, hence it's importance. You should to do an active cool down (in most cases a jog and stretches) after sessions. This raises the heart rate slightly, which pumps more blood round the body and flushes these waste products away from the muscles.

Here at Momentum Sports we like to use an acronym to help us how to remember how to finish a session off properly. It is SPEED, as it will help us get faster over time.

• S Strides (3 x 100m (1min)) at 800m pace
• P Post-session static stretches
• E Ease down with a slow lap or two of jogging
• E Eat - start to get back some of the nutrients, calories and water you've used in the session. About 100-200 calories is would do it. We're fans of milk and Nesquik, maybe with a bit of protein powder thrown in. Try to eat a full meal within 2 hours of a session as well, this recovery time is often called the golden window.
• D Diary - update your training diary with the results of the session

It is well worth the energy spent on doing this, as you'll be less sore, have less residual fatigue and generally be able to prepare better for future sessions