Are you warming up correctly?
By Cz
May 21 2005
It’s a given that we need to warm up before we take part in any sport. The process prepares us mentally and physically for the task ahead. Traditionally, athletes have been used to raising their body temperature with 5-15 minutes of gentle cardiovascular (CV) work and then stretching off.
By Cz
May 21 2005
It’s a given that we need to warm up before we take part in any sport. The process prepares us mentally and physically for the task ahead. Traditionally, athletes have been used to raising their body temperature with 5-15 minutes of gentle cardiovascular (CV) work and then stretching off.
It’s a given that we need to warm up before we sprint, hit a tennis ball or attempt a clean and jerk. The process prepares us mentally and physically for the task ahead. Traditionally, athletes from most sports have been used to raising their body temperature with 5-15 minutes of gentle cardiovascular (CV) work and then stretching off.
The ‘new’ theory about warm-ups is that we should replace the generalist approach with a more dynamic, focused routine, specifically tailored to chosen sports. The various drills we employ need to warm up our muscles specifically for the movements that will be required of them in the activity to follow. In this way specific neuromuscular patterning will be switched on and specific, functional range of movement developed.
How, then, should we warm up? The following guidance will work for runners and players of running-based sport, who need to be flexible enough to run efficiently in terms of power, relaxation and injury avoidance and (in running-based sports) to make quick changes of direction. Specific range of movement will be required in the shoulders, lower back, hips, hamstrings, quads, calf muscles and achilles tendons. Preparing these areas for dynamic activity doesn’t require lengthy periods of passive stretching.
First, raise your body temperature with 5-10 minutes of gentle CV work. Slow-paced running is a very specific way to warm up your muscles for faster-paced efforts, and there is still a need to prepare the CV system for more strenuous exertions.
Aim to perform each of these exercises over 10-15m, with a walk back or jogging recovery. It should be enough to perform 3-4 reps of each.
Lunge walk – for loosening the hips, improving leg drive and strengthening the butt and hamstrings. Assume a lunge position and step forwards into another lunge. Keep your chest up, look straight ahead and co-ordinate your arms and legs;
High knee lift – for hip flexor and ankle strength. Extend up onto the toes and lift each thigh parallel with the ground as you move forwards;
Elbow-to-inside-of-ankle lunge – for hip flexibility, hamstring strength and lower back stretching. Similar to the lunge walk, but extend your trunk forwards over your front leg. If your right leg is in front of you, you take the right elbow down toward the inside of the right ankle.
Calf walk – for lower limb strength and achilles flexibility. Extending the ankle on each step warms up the calf muscles and achilles tendons;
Sideways and backwards skipping/running – for lower limb strength, agility and flexibility.
Other useful warm-up exercises:
Simulated running arm action, standing or seated . The seated version is great for specific core stability, as you have to work hard to maintain stability on the ground. Perform for 15-60 seconds, altering your speed of movement;
Leg drives . Lean forwards against a wall, with hands out at shoulder level and feet shoulder-width apart and approximately a metre from the wall. Look straight ahead and keep body straight. Lift right leg, with knee bent, until upper thigh is parallel to the ground. From your hip, drive the leg back, so that your forefoot contacts the ground, then pull the leg back up to starting position. Perform in sets of 10 on each leg, gradually increasing the speed of the drive;
Leg cycling . Assume the same starting position as leg drives, but on driving the leg back, sweep it back up and behind you before pulling it back from the hip to the starting position. Try to keep the foot dorsi-flexed – ie stretched towards the leg. Gradually build up speed as you become confident.
The ‘new’ theory about warm-ups is that we should replace the generalist approach with a more dynamic, focused routine, specifically tailored to chosen sports. The various drills we employ need to warm up our muscles specifically for the movements that will be required of them in the activity to follow. In this way specific neuromuscular patterning will be switched on and specific, functional range of movement developed.
How, then, should we warm up? The following guidance will work for runners and players of running-based sport, who need to be flexible enough to run efficiently in terms of power, relaxation and injury avoidance and (in running-based sports) to make quick changes of direction. Specific range of movement will be required in the shoulders, lower back, hips, hamstrings, quads, calf muscles and achilles tendons. Preparing these areas for dynamic activity doesn’t require lengthy periods of passive stretching.
First, raise your body temperature with 5-10 minutes of gentle CV work. Slow-paced running is a very specific way to warm up your muscles for faster-paced efforts, and there is still a need to prepare the CV system for more strenuous exertions.
Aim to perform each of these exercises over 10-15m, with a walk back or jogging recovery. It should be enough to perform 3-4 reps of each.
Lunge walk – for loosening the hips, improving leg drive and strengthening the butt and hamstrings. Assume a lunge position and step forwards into another lunge. Keep your chest up, look straight ahead and co-ordinate your arms and legs;
High knee lift – for hip flexor and ankle strength. Extend up onto the toes and lift each thigh parallel with the ground as you move forwards;
Elbow-to-inside-of-ankle lunge – for hip flexibility, hamstring strength and lower back stretching. Similar to the lunge walk, but extend your trunk forwards over your front leg. If your right leg is in front of you, you take the right elbow down toward the inside of the right ankle.
Calf walk – for lower limb strength and achilles flexibility. Extending the ankle on each step warms up the calf muscles and achilles tendons;
Sideways and backwards skipping/running – for lower limb strength, agility and flexibility.
Other useful warm-up exercises:
Simulated running arm action, standing or seated . The seated version is great for specific core stability, as you have to work hard to maintain stability on the ground. Perform for 15-60 seconds, altering your speed of movement;
Leg drives . Lean forwards against a wall, with hands out at shoulder level and feet shoulder-width apart and approximately a metre from the wall. Look straight ahead and keep body straight. Lift right leg, with knee bent, until upper thigh is parallel to the ground. From your hip, drive the leg back, so that your forefoot contacts the ground, then pull the leg back up to starting position. Perform in sets of 10 on each leg, gradually increasing the speed of the drive;
Leg cycling . Assume the same starting position as leg drives, but on driving the leg back, sweep it back up and behind you before pulling it back from the hip to the starting position. Try to keep the foot dorsi-flexed – ie stretched towards the leg. Gradually build up speed as you become confident.
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