Warming up is
essential in any
kind of sport, even more so for soccer, where a variety of muscles are
used
intensely.
The time spent on warming up differs from coach to coach and
so does
the intensity of the exercises and the body areas the warm-up focuses
on, but
no coach in his or her right mind would send the players on the pitch
for a
match or training session without them being properly warmed.
Soccer
Warm Ups – Importance
Warm up offers
three major benefits
to a player, namely:
1. Low risk of injury
– by doing low intensity exercises that
simulate the movements you'll be doing in a match or training
session, you
prepare the body for them and avoid the risk of getting a muscle or
joint
injury by a high
percentage. Think of your muscles as an elastic
string.
Stretch it in a fast snapping motion and the string might break, but if
you
stretch it slowly and gradually, it will get used to its new form and
successfully stretch. The warm-up phase stands for the gradual and slow
stretching of the string.
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2. Higher performance
– a player that is warmed up will dish out a
better performance than if he jumped straight into a match, because of
two
reasons: he will not be worried about injuries and will be able to play
at the
best of his abilities and his heart rate, respiration and mental setup
will
already be fixed on the same wavelength needed for a match. This also
works for
training sessions, so if you want your players to train at their
fullest
potential, make sure they warm up well beforehand.
3. Flexibility
– Most warm up programs include
stretching
exercises
and these have a double role: they prepare your muscles, tendons and
joints for
the upcoming effort, much like any other warm-up exercise and they increase
your flexibility, making you more agile, a better tackler,
a better
goalkeeper
and a more incisive striker.
Soccer
Warm Ups – Player Position Requirements
Depending on the
position you
play in, you will want to change your warm-up routine slightly so that
you make
the most of it. First of all, do the general soccer warmups routine,
starting
from
your neck, going down to your upper body, lower body, thighs and
ankles. After
you've made sure every part of your body that will be set in motion on
the
pitch is well warmed up, focus on the areas that will be stressed
mostly during
the game or training session:
Soccer
Warm Ups >> Goalkeepers– Goalies
should work on warming up their upper
body,
especially the arms and back. When diving to stop a shot or coming out
to
collect a cross, your back and arms get most of the tension and they're
the
areas that can cause injuries with the most ease, if not warmed up
correctly.
Also, don't forget about your feet. A goal kick for example requires
full force
and if your legs are not warmed up correctly, you might get a strain or
even
rupture.
Soccer
Warm Ups >> Defenders
– As a field player, make sure you warm up your
legs as
best as you can. Focus on stretching exercises, to help you tackle
better and
to avoid any injuries
that might produce while tackling. It's also a
good idea
to put some extra warm up effort in your lower back and abdomen, since
you'll
be heading the ball a lot as a defender and those areas can easily get
injured.
Soccer
Warm Ups >> Midfielders
– A midfielder will do a lot of running and
wingers
will have to sprint a great deal during a match, so giving your legs
some extra
warm up is crucial. Regardless if you're a winger, offensive or
defensive
midfielder, you'll have to run the field box to box and a good warm up
session
beforehand can help you avoid getting muscle cramps late in the game.
Soccer
Warm Ups >> Attackers
– Same as with defenders, your main targets for
the
warm-up should be the legs, lower back and abdomen. Pay special
attention to
your inguinal muscles and your quadriceps, as these two are the most
strain-prone when shooting for goal.
