Giving importance to health has become a necessity in today’s age. What can be much better than getting involved in a sport covering all aspects of being healthy, fit, and good at something? That’s why those who play some kind of sport are always fit. Playing badminton requires immense strength and energy. Running around and hitting the shuttle makes the body exhausted. Playing this kind of sport can have a lot of advantages for the body, but there are certain aspects to keep in mind. Cooling down is a process that should be followed religiously after playing badminton, and the reasons are discussed further in the article. 

What is a cooldown? 

• Those who have just started working out or playing an intense sport like badminton might find this term new. Cooling down is necessary after a session of a game or exercise to let the body feel relaxed. It is a workout that is usually slow compared to other ones. This lasts for only 5-10 minutes. It helps the body to reach back to a normal state as the heartbeat becomes regular. 
• Cool down usually consists of stretches and mild exercises. It aids people in getting ready for their next match once as they are now in a much better state to tackle it when they are comfortable. 
• To make your game better in badminton, it is essential to take precautions and follow the required cooldown techniques along with the others rather than just buying expensive equipment and getting disappointed if you see no results. 
• A workout session should be made correctly to see the effects on the body. Warm-up, exercise, and cooldown should be planned so that the body gets the right treatment. 

The benefits of cooling down after a badminton game

Before doing anything, it is necessary to learn the reasons or benefits that the process involves, so people have logical reasoning behind performing it. People believe that cooling down after an intense exercise is unnecessary, or maybe are simply very lazy to do so because we all know how tough it is to push oneself for a workout and then a cool-down session may appear impossible, but while playing an intense sport like badminton, you must continually activate your muscles to support your body. A good cool down and stretch can help you perform better during the game. These are some of the advantages which are why cooldown is so essential after a game or workout. 

1) Avoides damages 

When engaging in the process of long and engaging matches, muscle tear is something that can happen to people. It is a painful experience that the body has to go through and may give nightmares to many. There is a way to ensure that it does not happen, and that is through doing the cooldown process. Those who end their day by not doing this can notice that they do not gain major benefits as opposed to those who religiously follow the cooldown exercises.

2) Regulates heartbeat 

This is one of the major reasons why cooldown is essential to adapt to the schedule. The body may experience dizziness due to exhaustion or other reasons, and it can be dangerous if there is no one around to handle the person. To ensure that light-headedness does not happen after a game, cooldown can play a good role as it helps the body to get the heartbeat back to a regular rate. 

3) No muscle cramping or stiffness 

The reason for cramping and stiffness in the body is the accumulated lactic acid. Getting this is not a treat, as they can make a person scream in pain. To make sure that you do not experience any of it, cooldown stretches can be your option as they aid the body in releasing the acid faster. This leads the body not to slow down the process as it gets into recovery mode more quickly. 

4) Stress release 

Dopamine and serotonin are the hormones in the body that make a person happy. While doing these cooldowns, it is observed that these are released, which makes the body feel relaxed and gets rid of all the stress. You will surely feel your mood improving after finishing the session with a cooldown. 

5) Good flexibility 

Cooling down can make you believe that you see a positive change in your body as it helps with being more flexible. As mentioned above, any tear and back pain can be avoided by doing it. Having good flexibility can also impact your overall game, which is why these stretches are advised by experts as well. 

6) Helps to meditate better 

In cooling down it is advantageous if you hold the stretch that you are in for a longer time, this will help you to stay focused and aid your muscles lengthening in your body. Meditation also helps you to clear your mind and focus better which cool down provides. This may be a winning deal for players who have back-to-back matches as they can concentrate with a calm mind. 

7) Regulation of blood flow 

There is more blood pumped when the body engages in sports or exercise. Cool down gives veins the ability to regulate normal blood back to the body along with making sure that the blood pressure drops. According to the doctors, there are no negative effects that are found in the process of cooling down; it just has numerous benefits contributing to making players better at the game. 

8) Reduces soreness

Nobody wants a sore body the next morning after playing an intense game as the soreness lasts for 2-3 days and forces you to stay in bed due to the discomfort that the body experiences. Stretching out can get rid of this soreness in no time as it helps in releasing the muscles and gives you instant relief. 

What are some regular cooldown exercises? 

These are some detailed cooldown exercises that people across the age can do. They are explained in a simple manner for better understanding. Carefully read the instructions so that you can experience how your body gets back to normal after engaging in it. 

Seated foot forward 

1. Sit on a yoga mat with your feet outstretched. 
2. Put your arms up and go forward with it. 
3. Hold your feet with your hands. You have to be in this position for a minute or as long as your body is comfortable and not experiencing any pain. 

Downward facing dog 

1. First, go into a plank position with your body. From here, you have to go up and down with your hips. 
2. If you want to do this right, then it is crucial to keep the spine straight.
3. To distribute the weight of your body proportionally, spread your fingers widely. 
4. Your legs have to be pedalled out and in. Your body must switch between an inverted “V shape” and go back to normal and plank position. 
5. This should be done for a minute. 

Butterfly stretch 

1. Sit on the mat with your soles touching each other (if you want to make it more difficult, bend forward and try touching your head to the mat). 
2. For a regular butterfly, stretch, erect your spine and take deep breaths, while you exhale you can let your body relax. 
3. This stretch can be done for 2-4 minutes. 

Other common cooldown exercises 

Some of these exercises are self-explanatory, or there are tutorial videos that can be followed to look at how to do them. It is necessary to learn how to do them so that your body does not go through any accidents of tear and dislocation. People can look at some fun-cool-down exercises on the various internet platforms to make this end-session more exciting. 

1. Toe touching 
2. Shoulder-stretch 
3. Lunge stretch
4. Child pose 
5. Split toe touch 
6. Floor touch 
7. Side stretch 

Easy exercises to follow 

As we all know it gets difficult for someone who is older or in that case even younger for the above-mentioned stretches. For minors and older adults, it can be challenging to do some difficult cooldowns. These few stretches can make the process much easier. 

Breathing 

Breathing or even walking can be the easiest form of cooling down or stretching for such people. 

Corpse position 

1. Lie down on the mat with your arms alongside your body. Keep your feet facing upwards and not bent. Your palms must be open. 
2. Feel relaxed by closing your eyes and letting all your body lose on the mat entirely. You do not have to hold any of the body parts tightly. 
3. This position can be held for 5 minutes or more. 

Arms circles 

1. Extend your arms to the sides and keep them on shoulder level. 
2. You have to move your arms forwards 8-10 times in circles. Do the same process backwards. 

Follow these methods to give your body a much-deserving session of resting through this session! The next time you finish an intense game like playing badminton make sure to follow a cool-down routine. To revise the benefits that it has, the body gets back to how it was, it regulates the blood pressure, you feel more relieved and happier and you are more flexible than ever.