Warming Up for Youth Sports
A Carefully Planned Warm-up Prepares the Athlete to Perform
Mar 28, 2009
The set of activities should include a general body warm-up, specific static stretching exercises, followed by a gradual increase in intensity of sport specific movements. A structured warm-up will increase the body’s core temperature, increase circulation to the muscles, and increase the temperature of the muscle tissue itself. Warming up the muscle tissue will allow the individual muscle fibers to be more pliable and to be stretched farther than cold muscle tissue.
General Warm-Up
A general body warm-up is any sustained activity that increases the body’s core temperature. The activity should include large muscle groups at a mild intensity level for a minimum of five minutes. The way to tell if the body is warm is if the athlete breaks into a light sweat. The initial warm-up might include a light sustained jog or a combination of large group muscle activities like jumping jacks, side-to-side movements, and back-peddling.
Once the body is warmed up, then the muscles are ready to be stretched. The focus should be on stretching the large muscle groups including the hamstrings, quadriceps, back muscles, gastrocnemius-soleus complex, and shoulders muscles. Specific muscle groups should be added depending on the activity. For example, athletes stretching for soccer should include stretches for the groin. Young athletes preparing for baseball should include stretches for the front and back of the shoulder.
Static Stretching
Static stretching is recommended for young athletes. The athlete moves into a position where the muscle feels tight, then backs off slightly, and holds the stretch. This stretch is held for a minimum of thirty seconds and then repeated for a total of three repetitions. The stretch is then repeated on the other side.
Contraindicated Stretches
Ballistic stretching should be avoided with young athletes. Ballistic stretching is a “bouncing” stretch. A “bouncing” stretch actually triggers receptors in the muscles to protect the muscle from injury. The muscle receptor fires and the muscle contracts rather than stretches. Passive stretching should also be avoided with young athletes. Passive stretching is a partner stretch in which the partner pushes the athlete into the stretch. Both of these stretches can result in injuries to the athletes.
Sport Specific Warm-Up
Once the body is warm and the muscles are properly stretched, the athlete can then begin sport specific activity at a low intensity. The athlete should gradually increase the intensity of the activity (or the distance) until the activity is performed at full intensity. For example, baseball players should begin throwing at a close distance at about 50% intensity. As the athlete continues to throw, the athletes can be moved back to increase the distance of the throw and the intensity can be gradually increased until the athlete is throwing at 100%.
After intense activity (ie., an intense conditioning session), a proper cool down should be initiated to help young athletes physiologically recover. Athletes should continue to walk around until the athletes can breathe easily. The continued movement of the legs assists the venous blood flow and helps the blood in the extremities to return to the heart. An athlete can recover more efficiently while walking rather than standing, bending over, or sitting.
A proper warm-up can help the body prepare for physical activity while a proper cool down can help the body efficiently recover from intense activity. Both are important to help reduce injuries and keep young athletes participating in their sport.
