It’s important to warm up before any strenuous exercise to avoid getting injured. All exercises or stretches here should be held for around 8 – 15 seconds, or 5 – 8 repetitions at 3 seconds if performing the stretch while walking.
Warm-up stretches and exercises
Jogging
Jog a lap or a couple of laps around the pitch to increase body temperature, blood flow to muscles and breathing rate. Should usually take up to 5 minutes.
Leg swings
Swing your left leg up as high as you possibly can with control, keep your leg straight and touch your foot with your right hand. Alternate legs with each step.
Works: Hamstring and hip flexors
Knee raises
Whilst on your jog, bring your knees up towards your chest, it looks like an over exaggerated run.
Works: Glutes and hip flexors
Butt kicks
Whilst on the jog kick your heels up towards your glutes, this also looks like an over exaggerated run, but your feet go in the other direction.
Works: Quadriceps
Kick backs
Kick your foot back and lean your torso forward while keeping the body parallel to the floor and hold for a few seconds. Alternate each leg.
Works: Hamstrings
Lunges
Take a long stride with your right leg, sink your hips towards the ground (the further forward you go the more emphasis is put on the hamstring), once your back leg is about an inch off of the floor come back up to starting position. Make sure your leading knee does not go over your toes. Alternate as you walk.
Works: Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, and core
Quad stretch
Bring your foot towards your glutes (flexion) and grab your foot (around the laces), hold for about 10 seconds and then switch legs.
Works: Quadriceps
Opening the gate
Stand on one leg, lift your knee up (flexion) and turn outwards. Once out bring the leg back down. Alternate legs
Works: Groin, glutes
Closing the gate
Start with the hips open, lift your knee up (flexion) and bring in then down. This should close the (gate) hips. Alternate legs.
Works: Groin, glutes
Skipping with leg swings
Swing your leg up towards your chest using the skipping motion and rotate your arms forwards and backwards in sync with your skip.
Works: Gastrocnemius, hip flexors, glutes, hamstrings, quadriceps, deltoids
