Dynamic Warm-­‐up The purpose of dynamic stretching is to get your muscles warmed up and prepared for athletic activities. They loosen the muscles decreasing your risk for injury but, also keep the elastic properties of the muscle and tendons assisting with athletic performance that static stretching can impair. WALKS/STATIONARY Marches on toes – While walking march, grab and pull your knee to your chest while raising onto your toes. Butt kicks on toes – While walking kick your heel towards your butt. If your able grab and pull your foot or ankle. Straight leg dead lift (teeter totters) – While walking, hinge at your hip and bend forward kicking one leg up. Maintain a straight back and do not lock your knee. Toy Soldier March – While walking kick one leg up keeping it straight, reach for the toes with the opposite hand. Alternate with each step. Inchworms with press-­‐up – Start in the push-­‐up position, walk your feet towards your hands until your hamstrings are on stretch the walk yourself back out to the push-­‐up position. In the down position let your hips rest on the floor and press up with your arms arching through the low back. High knee with external rotation – While walking, grab your ankle and knee rotating your hip, pull towards your chest. Walking lunge with twist -­‐ Take a slightly longer than normal stride and go down into a lunge, rotate your upper body in the direction of the forward leg reaching your arms up and away, alternate with each step. This will stretch the torso and opposite hip flexor. Walking march with lunge – Grab and pull you knee toward your chest raising up onto your toes if possible. Release your knee and step down into a lunge. Repeat and alternate with each step. (Can also go backwards) Lateral lunge (unilateral or bilateral with a twist)(or with a toe touch) – Take a large side step and bend the knee of your lead leg allowing yourself to lunge backward. Shift your weight and lunge of the opposite leg. Reverse pivot and repeat. You may do this unilaterally or reaching down and touching your toe with each lunge. Forward/Backward hip rotation – While walking raise one leg up and to your side with your knee bent and rotate it forward. (Can also do this walking backwards) Arm circles -­‐ Start with your arms raised to shoulder height out to your side, complete circles with your arms progressing from small to large. Perform 20 repetitions clockwise and counterclockwise. Self hugs – Start with your arms raised to shoulder height out to your side, swing backward then forward wrapping your arms around yourself and squeeze. Alternate the top arm and perform 10 times. Spiderman – Start in the push-­‐up position, step forward the one arm and the opposite leg while trying to remain close to the ground, alternate. JOG/RUN Ankling – Keeping your knees straight pop your forefoot into the ground and move forward in a hopping motion. High knees Quick Skips – Quickly bring your knee to hip height and back down to the floor. Move forward in a skipping motion and be conscious of your arm motion. Power Skips – Drive on knee to hip height but focus on height and power, use your arms to drive yourself upward. Butt kicks Form jumps – Complete a double leg broad jump landing quietly heel-­‐to-­‐toe absorbing the load into the squat position. This is an important drill for female athletes, be sure the athlete keeps their knees over their toes with the jump and upon landing. Lateral high knee – While side running raise you leg up and over as though your stepping over a fence. (Can substitute Carioca) Lateral slides with floor touch – Side shuffle and reach the floor with every 2-­‐3 slides. Line Hops –Single Leg and Double Leg – Jump side to side over a line while moving forward, can also do jumping front to back moving laterally Zig-­‐Zag – Run at an angle approx. 5 yds. break down and cut, repeat Bounding – Run forward in an over striding manner. Be sure to land on your forefoot and use your arms to drive you forward. Form Runs – Run straight ahead at 50% -­‐ 75% with a focus on “perfect form” eyes straight ahead, head and shoulders relaxed, arm and leg drive moving straight forward. NO WASTED MOVEMENT OR ENERGY. Accelerators/%Runs – Slowly build up your speed reaching 90% -­‐ 100% and slowly decelerate. Think of “perfect form”. Distance you choose may vary depending on the sport. STATIC STRETCHING The stretches we chose are for completion on an open field or court and can be done individually or with a teammate. After practice or a competition this is a great way to form team unity and a great time for the coach to review what was accomplished in practice that day while productively assisting in the goal of injury prevention. Gastroc/Soleus – While in the push-­‐up/pike position force one heel to the floor and press with the opposite leg. A straight leg will stretch the gastroc and a bent knee will stretch the soleus. Court sports may utilize the wall stretch. Hamstring – Standing with both feet together bend forward from your hips maintaining a straight back until you feel a comfortable stretch in the back of your upper legs. Quadriceps/Rectus Femoris – While standing reach back and grab your foot/ankle. Pull your foot towards your butt and kick your foot into your hand forcing your leg backwards. You may hold on to a teammate for balance. Hip Flexor Lunge Stretch – In the lunge position allow one knee to rest on the ground. Contract your glut max muscle rotating your pelvis backwards. Lunge forward feeling a comfortable stretch in your upper leg and the front of your hip. Adductor/Groin Stretch – Standing with a wide stance lean to one side keeping the opposite leg straight feeling a stretch through the inner thigh. You can face your feet inward, straight and outward to focus on different aspects of the muscle. Pec Stretch – Raise both arms to shoulder height and flex your elbows to 90 degrees. Have a teammate pull your pull your arms backward from the elbow or forearm feeling a stretch in the front of the shoulders and pecs. Posterior Shoulder Capsule Stretch – Reach one arm across your chin and grab the elbow from underneath pulling across your body. *Bowling, Tennis and Golf Wrist Flexor Stretch – Reach one arm out in front of you. Keep a straight elbow and pull your fingers down with an open palm. Wrist Extensor Stretch -­‐ Reach one are out in front of you. Keep a straight elbow, make a fist and pull your wrist down.