WARM UP

1.    WHAT IS IT?

It is a set of physical exercises previous to a main physical activity that requires a stronger effort tan usual.

Warm up must prepare the muscle for the activity.

2.    OBJETIVES OF THE WARM UP:

• To improve the performance of the activity we are going to do later.
• Raise body temperature.
• Avoid injury.
• Activate the respiratory, cardiovascular, nervous and muscular system.
• Improve concentration and motivation.
• Improve performance.

3. TYPES OF WARM UP:

•  GENERAL: Exercises involving major body parts (legs, arms, torso…) and that serve as a warm up for all types of activity.
• SPECIFIC: Exercises used for a specific physical activity. First you do the general warm up and them the specific warm up depending on the sport or activity you are going to do after.

4.    FACTORS OF THE WARM UP:

-       Climate: the colder it is, the more you must warm up to increase body temperature.

-       Injury: you must focus on injuries, past or present: for example, an injured ankle requires a more extensive warm up.

-       Type of activity: for soccer, warm up your legs; for volleyball, warm up your arms, etc. 

5.    CHARACTERISTIC OF THE WARM UP AND HOW TO DOIT PROPERLY:

·      You should go in an order: go from bottom to top or vice versa to make sure you don’t leave anything out.

·      The exercise should become progressively more intense, starting slow and working up the intensity.

·      Individuality: injuries should be addressed on a unique basis, depending on the person.

·      Duration: no more tan 10 minutes.

·      Variety: the warm up shouldn’t always be exactly the same. You can change stretches, games, etc.

6.    SEGMENTS OF THE WARM UP:

a.     Light jog: general exercises.

b.     Joint movement

c.      Stretching, going in order.

WARM UP EXERCISES

Running joint movement (displacements)

·       Walk at different speeds.

·       Light jog.

·       Walk on your tippy-toes.

·       Walk on your heels.

·       High-knees (skipping)

·       Kickbacks.

·       Sideways jog in both directions.

·       Criss-cross.

·       Sideways jog, 180º every 3 steps.

·       Jog backwards.

·       Jog while jumping every four steps.

·       Light jog with arm movement. Move one or both arms forward and backward, making circles and upward and downward.

·       Light jog with elbow rotations.

·       Light jog with fingers flexion and extension

·       Jump in place on your toes.

Standing joint movement.

·       Roll ankle in both directions with your toe pointed.

·       Bend knees and rotate in circles.

·       Rotate hips with legs separated (open and close the gate).

·       Twist the torso.

·       Rotate shoulders forward and backward.

·       Rotate elbows in circles.

·       Rotate wrists in circles.

·       Roll neck (only forward).

Stretching.