what is the maximum amout of time that you can wait to do stretching after doing aerobics

Hi Deidre,

ideally, you should still be warmed up after the aerobic workout.I would not wait for more than 10 minutes until I stretch.

Karin Singleton
www.meltnc.com

The idea is to have very warm tissues and to have less adhesive tissues. The longer you wait the less advantageous stretch will be for improving flexibility. You can continue to move at a less intense level for a while, but it must at least keep body temperature up. If you were to stop exercising/moving all together (sitting or lying down for example) and not stretch within about 5 minutes, I would recommend performing a warm up of about 10 minutes (longer if you will be stretching muscle or muscle groups that are habitually tight).

The answer depends on your goals. Are you wanting to increase flexibility or cool down?

Keep that overall goal in mind, and then you can approach each part of your program with focus.

It may be, for example, that you are better to spend time at the beginning of your session ‘stretching’.

Hello Deirdre Griswold,
It also depends on the intensity of the aerobic session. Since you have cool down also showing, I would do the stretching as soon as possible in a way to help lower the heart rate gradually.
Take care,
Natalie aka NAPS 2 B Fit.

OK, first of all, I see you wrote “cool down,” as part of your question.

If you’ve just done aerobics, and your heart rate is significantly higher than your normal heart rate, you need to bring your heart-rate down as part of your cool-down. A cardiovascularly fit person’s heart rate might return to normal within a few minutes, and it will take longer for someone who is less cardiovascularly fit. Especially if you’re a beginner or you have any type of issues with your heart, this part of the cooldown should never be ignored, and it comes before stretching.

As for stretching, the information you’ve received is sound. The sooner the better. If there is a pause between cardio and stretching, I’d suggest stretching each muscle for a longer time, at least 30 seconds rather than the typical 15-20.