Short answer: yes! Warmups and cooldowns decrease risk of injury and allow you to recover more efficiently.

Warm up with a few minutes of light cardio, such as walking on the treadmill or biking. You can also add some mobility exercises to the beginning of your warm up as well (see the Mobility Training tip from Alli in April)! At the end of your workout, cool down with some static stretching, foam rolling, or a few minutes of light cardio. Try to stretch everything, but especially focus on the muscles you used during your workout. If static stretching, hold each stretch for at least 30 seconds. If foam rolling, take around 30 seconds to foam roll each body part.