Playing a sport is one of the most fun ways to keep fit. Apart
from the exercise factor, you also get to add a new skill or retain an old
skill. Either way, cardio + endorphin release + plus an ego boost from winning
is a damn good combination in my books.
To contextualise, all this babble is stemming from my recent
Saturday morning Squash games. I am enjoying these weekly two hours in court
like I didn’t know I would. But the tragedy hits on Sunday morning. Aches and
pains and cramps dampen the thrill of play.
The lack of any kind of activity over the week is bad enough. But
by adopting these simple pre & post workout rituals, I am trying to make
the best of these two hours while avoiding any kind of injury. I mean that
would just be shameful to get hurt while trying to get fit.
My pre-game rituals include hydration, fueling & warm-up. While
I spoke about the first two in fair detail, today I want to elaborate on
warming up before a game.
To reiterate: Warm up is
not optional. It is a MUST-DO for a safe and effective workout
The purpose of warming up is to prevent injuries by increasing
blood flow and dynamically stretching targeted muscle groups and joints
and preparing them for the impending vigorous activity.
What constitutes warm-up is low intensity exercises and stretches
that will pump up the cardiovascular system which in turn increases blood flow
to the cold muscles and prepares it for vigorous activity.
The intention should be to warm the muscle groups that will be used
during the workout. It might seem obvious but I have seen a lot of people don't
really customize the sets as per workout, hence I figured I'd emphasize on this.
During my research I found this article very specific and helpful
and here I am tabulating the set I have adopted >
CROSS OVER RUNNING
LUNGE TWISTS
I have double, triple checked this FAQ and turns out you stretch after the warm up. Sadly, I have been misguided by trainers in the past so its good to know this. Here is a handy, full body stretch chart
The most important question this article answered for me was the
optimal duration of warm up.
It has been explained that 10 minutes is the minimum time required
to achieve the aforementioned results without tiring the body and leaving it
energized and focussed for the game ahead.
It is ideal to follow up this warmup with a few minutes
of ghosting. This not only helps embed the correct movement in the brain but
also to tune in and focus the mind for play. I mean all enthusiasm aside, it’s
still 9am on a Saturday and my brain is probably cursing me...
So this what I will be doing tomorrow morning before my game. Along with these.
Do
you have a word of advice?
Stretch images from here
- 04:01
- 0 Comments
