The Warm Up
As the weather (finally) warms up, here are some pointers on warming up for that upcoming season of softball, tennis, golf or whatever activity you like to do.
I don’t know about you, but I grew up in a time where “warming up” meant sitting around in a circle, statically stretching various muscles (remember gym class?) However, this view has changed. The current view on warming up is to do it dynamically, that is through movement and not through static holding of stretches. It has been theorized that static stretching actually reduces muscle activity and force. Why would you want that before doing an activity?
Also, warming up is important in priming your body for activity. It is meant to initiate muscle activation, lubricate joints and gradually prepare your cardiovascular system for the upcoming task at hand. All of these things help minimize injury. Physiologically, you know this is achieved when you start feeling warm (hence the name) and start sweating. Light perspiration is a sign that your body is getting ready to go!
So how do you dynamically warm up? Here is a good routine to follow. It should take roughly 5-10 minutes. Use a line to do the warm up (ie baseline of tennis court, 1st to 2nd base on softball diamond, etc). Go back and forth on this line (real or imaginary) twice for each exercise.
- Walking lunges
- High knees
- Heel kicks
- Side shuffles
- Crossovers
- Side lunges
- Toe touches
- Walking lunges + reach/twist (one or all of the options)
If you do not know what some of these exercises are, I will be posting a video with this routine soon. So get warm and enjoy your sporting endeavors! Happy Spring!
Manni Wong
Registered Physiotherapist