The Warm Up

I hate going to a game or a practice and I see the athletes jog a slow lap and do static stretches while talking and laughing the whole time. First of all they are not properly preparing themselves mentally and physically. Also, research shows that static stretching can reduce power for up to 40 minutes. Who wants to start a game or practice with decreased power? No professional, college or good high school program warms up this way. So why do I continue to see this warm up?

How should athletes warm up ? I believe the dynamic warm up is the best way to get ready for athletic practice or competition. I prefer the dynamic warm up for various reasons. I have listed some benefits of the dynamice warm up.

1. It involves continuous movement, and maintains warmth in your body and muscles. Studies have found that many athletes drop their core temperature by 2-3° after sitting and stretching for 10-15 minutes;

2. It prepares the muscles and joints in a more sport specific manner than static stretching. Warm up will include patterns and movements that will be used in athlete's practice or competition.;

3. It enhances coordination and motor ability as well as revving up the nervous system – benefits which are particularly important for younger athletes who are still ‘learning their bodies’. This will result in athletes having better form;

4. To increase the activation of the Central Nervous System (therefore increasing coordination, skill accuracy, and reaction time);

5. To increase the rate and force of muscle contraction and contractile mechanical efficiency (through increase muscle temperature)

6. To increase the suppleness of connective tissue (resulting in less incidence of musculotendinous injuries)

7. Finally, and possibly most importantly, it prepares the mind for the workout or competition ahead. Proper mental preparation for any sport is vital and, in my considerable experience with teams and groups, I have found that while many sit-and-stretch routines are an excuse for daydreaming, the dynamic warm-up forces athletes to focus and concentrate on the task at hand. This is also a great time for imagery and visualization. Athlete can focus on hitting the winning foul shot, clearing every hurdle or running the perfect route.

For more information or for examples of a dynamic warm up, contact me at [email protected].