Tips & Techniques

WARM IT UP BEFORE YOU START IT UP!

How you prepare your body for training may be just as important as the training itself. The old adage of stretching beforehand doesn't quite cut it. Static stretching of muscles and tendons prior to warm-up tends to offer no real improvement in range of motion and in some cases may contribute to injury because the tissue has not heated up.

TIP: Walk, jog, bike for approximately 5 to ten minutes followed with a couple of sets of light drills before static stretching begins. Incorporating basic movement drills that require you to move your ankles, knees and hips through three dimensional movements may enhance your range of motion in a much more effective way than the good old static stretch. Running, while lifting your knees up or snapping your heels back to your behind are examples of functional flexibility movements that can prepare you to perform in your chosen activity.

Originally published in the April/May 2004 edition of Allen Magazine.

"The Performance Course gives our kids a sense of accountability to one another. We feel it gives us an advantage in so many ways."

Randy Allen, Head Football Coach
Highland Park High School