WARMING UP AND COOLING DOWN
Warming up
Before you do any form of exercise you should always warm up. This will enable you to perform at your optimal level and will help prevent injury. Start off with a gentle exercise that uses the whole body like jogging. You should do this for 2-3 minutes and it should leave you sweating slightly and breathing a little more heavily than normal. Now that your muscles are warm and the blood is flowing, you can start mobilising the joints. Refer to the next page for a description of the mobility exercises. These mobility exercises are specific to the joints and muscle groups that will be used during this programme. Ensure that the mobility exercises are:- Controlled.- Gradually increasing the range of movement.- Repeated 10-12 times for each mobility exercise.
Cooling down Cooling down is just as important as warming up. By doing so, you will lower the heart rate to resting levels and stretch the muscles to aid recovery. Follow the cooling down programme after every session performed. Remember to perform each stretch in a controlled manner and hold for 30 seconds.
Injuries and illness
Don’ t exercise if you are injured or feeling unwell. Always warm up and cool down – It allows you to train optimally and recover faster. Make sure that you wear the correct equipment to train in, to enhance performance and to reduce the chance of injury. Remember to have:
• Appropriate trainers.
• Suitable clothing.
• A full water bottle with you.
The next 13 pages outline the RAF health and fitness programme for potential recruits. There is an effective combination of aerobic and muscular endurance exercises, a stretching programme, and advice on diet and lifestyle. If you want to prepare for life in the RAF, it’ s the perfect way to start.