As with warming up before an exercise session, it is just as important to cool the body down gradually when the exercise session has finished. If you stop suddenly following an intense training session, the blood that has been diverted to make your muscles work harder will pool in these areas, especially in the lower body.
Pooling of blood should not harm you but may make you feel lightheaded and nauseous, so it seems sensible to bring exercise levels down gradually over 5 to 10 minutes so that your breathing and heart rate return to nearly normal, and then at this point finish with a stretching session.
In an exercise class the instructor will have been taught to cool the class down effectively; low impact moves will replace high impact,and the speed of the workout will slow. If this is a Step or aerobics class the music beat will slow down and the class will be encouraged to take smaller steps, not lift knees as high as previously and so on.
Some classes will then move down to floor level for an extended stretching session that will take between 5 and 10 minutes in itself, and finish with one to two minutes of complete relaxation. This is a very pleasant way to end a strenuous class and leaves clients refreshed and with a feeling of well-being.
Care should be taken to bring the class back up to standing gradually and safely as blood pressure, heartrate and breathing rate will all have reduced and there is a slight risk that some participants could be unsteady and feel dizzy.
The class should end with a minute of re-warm so that everybody’s brain becomes re-oriented before heading out once more into the bustle of the outside world. Different instructors do things differently; most do some slightly amusing flourish to finish such as asking the class to do a Dracula pose or curtsey to one another. Childish but good fun and has everybody laughing!