Lesson 2. The Warm Up

The warm up is basic in Physical Education. We do it everyday, so it is the first thing you must learn.

1. WHAT IS A WARM-UP? DEFINITION
A warm up is a series of exercises, which increases in intensity, you do before any physical activity to prepare  body and mind to improve your performance in the main activity.

 2. OBJECTIVES OF THE WARM UP:
If you do a good warm up, you can get:
1) Protection against injuries
2) Better performance

3. EFFECTS  OF THE WARM UP ON OUR BODY:

-You increase your body temperature. -You also increase your heart rate
-There is also an increase in blood circulation, and oxygen in blood travels faster reaching the muscles at work.
-Your muscles extend more and are more elastic     -Your joints move more efficiently    -You react faster   -You will be mentally focused on the training or competition

4. PARTS OF A WARM-UP:
·  What are the parts of an effective Warm-Up?

1) The general warm-up

1.1.Aerobic activity : 3-5  minutes  SLOW  JOG  to increase body temperature

1.2. Stretching

• Static stretching : Static Stretching as the name implies is static or "without movement" It involves stretching the target muscle and hold the stretch for about 20-30 seconds for 1-3 repetitions.  You must focus on all the major muscle groups (back, abdominals, forearms and wrists, triceps,biceps, shoulders, chest, buttocks, groin (adductors), thighs (quadriceps and adductors), calves and hamstrings) .

• Dynamic stretching: It utilizes active movement to take the body part through its range of motion. This active movement prepares the muscles for exercise. Examples of dynamic stretching include: shoulder circles, different types of arm swings, side bends, hips circles and twists, alternate toe touches, carioca, leg swings, straight leg kicks, walking lunges with upper body twist, walking knee and heel hugs, open and close knees, butt kickers, high knees, hip internal and external rotation, ankle bounce and much more exercises . It is used to both wake up and warm up the body along with stretching it.

1.3. Speed part: sprints, accelerations …..

2. Sport specific warm-up : in this part, you .perform  exercises similar to the sport you are going to play and warm up the muscles you are going to use in the  specific sport or activity.

Warm ups are specific to the sport or activity you practice.  So, the warm-up volleyball players do is different from the one footballers do.

This part must also be progressive in intensity. It must start slow and increase the intensity. It must end at a intensity similar to the sport you are going to practise.

Such sport-specific activity is beneficial because it improves coordination, in fact, it facilitates nerve transmission and muscle metabolism; a specific warm up can facilitate motor unit recruitment required in subsequent all out activity

5. How long should a warm up take?  It will depend on many different factors such as type of sport, temperature, individual needs......, but il will take around 20’-25’ at the total; the total time can be distributed in the following pattern:

 

·  5 minutes jogging to increase body temperature

·       5 minutes static flexibility

·       5 minutes dynamic stretching exercises  to reduce muscle stiffness

·  10 minutes for specific warm up drills - preparation for the session or competition. e.g. for a soccer player ( passes, dribbles, shots, controls and reduced soccer games...)

6. How long would have passed between the end of the warm up and the beginning of the competition or main activity?  No more than 10 minutes.