This weekend is the largest sports weekend in the Netherlands with the Rotterdam marathon and the Amstel Gold Race.
Marathon
Almost 35,000 cyclists and runners are on the starting blocks this weekend. With the Rotterdam Marathon and the Amstel Gold race, this weekend is the largest sports weekend in the Netherlands. But strikingly enough, the Dutch achieve their sports performance with a limited or even no warm-up (51%), and without a cooling down (81%).
Six culture
For only half of the Dutch, the warm-up is a regular part of the sports routine; 20% never even do it. That is perhaps why athletes rate their warm-up with a meager 6. And if we do a warm-up, it consists of starting sports slowly (49%), warming up exercises (30%) or walking in (29%).
Getting cold
By raising your heart rate and warming up your muscles, you prepare your body for the exertion to come. After exercise, 40% regularly suffer from muscle pain, 5% even always have sore muscles. Not only the warming up, but also the aftercare of the muscles therefore deserves the necessary attention. Only a small proportion of the respondents take care of the muscles with a massage or by greasing them. That is why thirty (sponsored) masseurs are standing by in the finish village of both events this weekend to provide the tired muscles with good aftercare.
