A lot of people, especially if they are not proper athletes, look down upon doing warm-ups and cool-downs after sport. On the other hand warm-up and cool-down is essential as time spent on doing such things will definitely improve the players level of performance, and also allow faster and better recovery for the next training session. |
Warm-Up |
Warm-up prepares the body for activity, and this helps prevent injury to muscles which is very important for athletes. Warm-ups should incorporate the muscle groups and areas that are specifically needed by the sport. The intensity of the warm-up should be very relaxed at first, but could gradually build up up depending on the level of strength required by the training or game. Normally, warm-up should only take 5-10 minutes, but should be increased if the weather is cold due to higher muscle contraction.
Benefits of a warm-up
Activities: At the start Include some light, general aerobic exercise such as jogging, skipping, running backwards, and side stepping. Avoid explosive movements at this stage and any sudden turning and twisting actions. Then do stretches which focuses on the groins, hamstrings, quads and calves. Try doing some dynamic stretches first such as making circles with the arms and ankles, gently kicking the air as if to kick a ball, and turning from side to side at waist |
Cool-Down |
Cooling down is something that is neglected more than warm-ups by coaches even though the athletes body needs time to slow down after vigorous exercise. Cool-down is an important step in helping the recovery of the body and should happen straight away after sport. Just like a warm-up, a cool down shouldn't take long but around 5 to 10 minutes.
Benefits of a cool-down
Activities: Do a few minutes of slow jogging. Static stretches are more appropriate to the cool down as it helps muscles to relax, so work up from the bottom then up to areas such as the neck. Make sure you hold he stretches for a few seconds |