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New
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Year 10
Edexcel

Warm up and cool down

I can explain the phases of a warm up and a cool down and the physical benefits for completing both.

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New
New
Year 10
Edexcel

Warm up and cool down

I can explain the phases of a warm up and a cool down and the physical benefits for completing both.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. A warm up should include a pulse raiser, mobility, stretching, dynamic movements and skill rehearsal.
  2. Warming up raises body temperature, increasing range of movement and pliability of muscles to reduce risk of injury.
  3. A cool down should involve low intensity exercise and stretching exercises.
  4. Cool down helps the transition to a resting state, facilitates the removal of waste products to reduce muscle soreness.

Keywords

  • Warm up - preparatory exercises to prepare the mind and body for physical activity

  • Cool down - the act of allowing physiological activity to return to normal gradually after strenous exercise by engaging in less strenuous exercise

  • Pulse raising - activities in a warm up that elevate heart rate and increase blood flow to muscles

  • Stretching - exercises to increase the range of movement at joints

  • Lactic acid - a waste product produced in the muscle tissues during strenuous exercise where the anaerobic system is in use

Common misconception

Stretching is the first part of a warm up routine.

Before a muscle can be stretched, it needs to have an increase in temperature and pliability. Therefore, before stretching, an individual should do a pulse raiser to increase blood flow to the muscles.


To help you plan your year 10 physical education lesson on: Warm up and cool down, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage physical completion of warm up and cool downs. This can be done in their practical lesson. Present scenarios and ask learners to plan and deliver a warm up session. They should reflect on their delivery and explain the benefits of their session.
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Teacher tip
equipment-required

Equipment

Space and equipment to complete a full warm up and cool down routine.

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Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following is an injury prevention strategy which requires an external object?
adequate hydration
appropriate rest and recovery
avoiding bouncing when stretching
Correct answer: using taping or bracing
Q2.
A up should be completed at the start of any physical activity session to reduce the risk of injury.
Correct Answer: warm
Q3.
Wearing appropriate footwear is beneficial to prevent slipping during sport and exercise and there is more ...
Correct Answer: grip, support, friction
Q4.
Which of the following is necessary in the arteries to increase blood flow during exercise?
Correct answer: vasodilation
vasoconstriction
blood pressure
capillaries
Q5.
Order the activities for a typical games training session.
1 - warm up
2 - skill development
3 - competitive game play
4 - cool down
Q6.
Match the description to correct injury prevention consideration.
Correct Answer:stretching,increases the range of movement at a joint
tick

increases the range of movement at a joint

Correct Answer:footwear,help with stability at the ankle joint
tick

help with stability at the ankle joint

Correct Answer:appropriate rest,allow for sufficient time to recover between sessions
tick

allow for sufficient time to recover between sessions

Correct Answer:correct lifting technique,knees bent and straight back when lifting from the floor
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knees bent and straight back when lifting from the floor

6 Questions

Q1.
Order the phases of an effective warm up.
1 - pulse raiser
2 - stretching
3 - skill-based practice
4 - mental preparation
Q2.
Which is a benefit of an effective warm up?
removal of lactic acid
reflect on the activity
reduce DOMS
Correct answer: vasoconstriction of arteries towards inactive areas
prevents blood pooling
Q3.
Which is a benefit of an effective cool down?
increased pliability of ligaments and tendons
Correct answer: maintain breathing rate to expel excess carbon dioxide
increased coordination
in the zone and optimal arousal
trigger metabolism
Q4.
Match the activity to the correct phase of a warm up.
Correct Answer:fun tag game,pulse raiser
tick

pulse raiser

Correct Answer:walking into a held lunge and repeat,dynamic stretching
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dynamic stretching

Correct Answer:skill pratice,activity familiarisation
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activity familiarisation

Correct Answer:visualisation,mental preparation
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mental preparation

Q5.
A cool down prevents DOMS which is the delayed of muscles soreness.
Correct Answer: onset
Q6.
During a cool down it is advised to hold a stretch for 10 to seconds.
Correct Answer: 20, twenty