Warm-up
Top tips to completing a good warm-up for sport
Why should you do a warm-up?
A warm-up gets your body ready for the activity. A warm-up has 3 sections: 1) A pulse raiser 2) Stretches 3) A skills phase. A warm-up increased your bodies temperature and the blood flow to the muscles so that you can work hard later in the activity. Stretches reduce the risk of you getting injured! Finally a warm-up focuses your mind of the sporting activity.
The pulse raiser!
The pulse raiser is the first part of a warm-up and can be any activity which will gradually increase the heart rate. Jogging is a good example because it requires no equipment at all and can begin at a very slow speed and gradually increase. Other good choices are cycling and skipping.
Stretches!
Stretches are an important part of a warm-up. They should be performed after the pulse raiser because now the muscles are warmer and so more elastic, reducing the likelihood of injury. Remember you should stretch all the muscles you will be using in your activity! Hold each stretch for 10 seconds.
The skills phase!
The skills phase makes sure that your muscles and your mind are prepared for the activity. The skills phase will also help improve co-ordination, reaction times and accuracy. an example could be drilling, passing or throwing drills. This section should be specific to your sport. E.g. for football you could practice passing drills with a partner.