I frequently see people getting ready to play sports (be it ultimate frisbee, mountain biking, skiing, pickleball, etc) and they spend 15-20 mins just stretching. If you are over 30 years old, this is a recipe for disaster and injury. You need to be doing a dynamic warm-up instead.
Why should you do a dynamic warm-up?
Static stretching puts your body into a rested and relaxed state. This is great if you’re getting ready for bed. Sports requires you to be active, alert, and springy.
Static stretching also doesn’t prepare your body for the demands of the sport: increased heart rate, increased blood flow, preparing the tissues and joints for the speed, loads, and ranges of motion you will be using during your sport.
Because of these reasons, you may think you are ready to play, but your body really isn’t. So it’s no surprise that you often get injured, or feel like crap while you play, and especially afterward.
What is it?
As I alluded to earlier, a dynamic warm-up will include all the aspects of a proper warm-up:
- preparing your lungs and breathing for maximal oxygen exchange
- increasing heart rate and blood flow to working muscles
- prepare the joints, and connective tissues (ligaments, tendons, etc) for the movements, speeds, and loads they will be put through during your sport
- Prepare your mind to be ready
This can all be done in 5-15 minutes.
How do I do a dynamic warm-up?
There are 2 phases of a dynamic warm-up in my opinion.
The first phase should include the movements you will be doing in your sport. If you’re a cyclist, doing lunges or split squats would be an example of a movement that is similar to your cycling stroke.
These movements should be done in a controlled manner. You can start slow and increase speed as you work to complete 10-15 reps.
The second phase is about making those movements fast, and springy/explosive. This increase in speed will also increase blood flow and prep your lungs even better.
This can include jumps, skips, and hops.
By doing a dynamic warm-up before you start playing sports, you’ll decrease your risk of injury, and also perform better. Give it a try!
