Take your warm-up seriously. The quality of your warm-up will often dictate the quality of your performance. It helps your prepare not only physically but mentally as well. Develop a specific warm-up routine for your workouts, your practices and your games. This will help you perform to your best!
Don’t use static stretching as a mean to warm-up. Static stretching (a stretch where you hold a position without moving for a given amount of time) is not used much anymore in high performance sport because it has been shown to be ineffective in preventing injuries and it also decreases performance by turning off the nervous system. Studies have shown that you can lose power for up to an hour after performing static stretching.
Do a dynamic warm-up instead. A dynamic warm-up includes exercises that will challenge the nervous system and also increase the range of motion around the major joints. These exercises are often described as “dynamic flexibility exercises”, “mobility exercises” or “movement preparation exercises”. Consult with a good strength and conditioning coach to develop a good dynamic warm-up routine.
Take time to cool down. After each workout, practice and game, take a few minutes to cool down by doing a light jog for a few minutes followed by static stretching. Static stretching is very effective to help the body recover after exercise.
"Boost Your Game with FREE Performance Tips!"
Marc Dagenais has a daily email about hitting, pitching, speed/power training, coaching, recruiting and mind power for you! These daily tips are MUST reading. And they're free. Sign up NOW.
