What should a cooling-down phase of exercise include?

The cooling-down phase of exercise plays a crucial role in gradually bringing your body back to its resting state after intense physical activity. Including light aerobic exercise, such as walking, helps to decrease the heart rate gradually and allows for a smoother transition from high exertion back to a normal state. This process helps in preventing dizziness or fainting that can occur if you stop exercising too abruptly.

Static stretching is essential during the cooldown because it promotes flexibility and helps to reduce muscle soreness by lengthening the muscles that may have tightened during the workout. This combination of low-intensity activity and stretching serves not only to mitigate potential injury but also aids in recovery by increasing blood flow to the muscles and flushing out metabolic waste that has accumulated.

The other options do not align with the purpose of a cooldown. High-intensity interval training and cardiovascular sprints are designed to elevate heart rate and exert maximum effort, which is counterproductive for a cooldown phase. Similarly, heavy lifting focuses on building strength and muscle rather than gently easing the body out of an active state. Thus, incorporating static stretching and light aerobic activity is the most effective way to conclude a workout session.