Soccer Warm-up Exercises - Must do Before a Big Game
Why should I warm up?
Soccer Warm-up exercises are very important. It helps to prevent muscle strain and injury when playing for a full 90 minutes. There will be many times where you might have to run flat out, and it might just happen in the first few seconds. if you are stationary and cold 1 minute, then running full out the next, you're going to be asking for trouble.
Try to keep moving as much as possible. You may need to work on building your stamina for this. Even if you are just walking, it will still keep you warm and ready.
Jog First
Before doing any sort of stretching or running, it is recommended that you do some jogging. This helps to warm up your body and muscles. It also gets your heart pumping. Experts say that pulse rate should be at least 120 beats per minute for optimum performance.
You can start with just a simple, slow rate jog backwards and forwards up the pitch. Gradually, you can increase your running speed and eventually, work up to a sprint. You should do this for about 10-15 mins to get your heart rate up to the level required for optimum performance.
Stretching
When it comes to stretching, the legs tend to get most of the attention. Exercises to stretch the hamstring, quadriceps, groin and calf are very important and must be carried out no matter what. Stretching the muscles, not only prevents injury, but also increases a limb's range of movement.
Each muscle requires a different stretching exercise. Click below to read more about each muscle group.
Quadriceps
Hamstring
Calf
Make sure you stretch each muscle group properly. Try not to overdo it with the stretching as you can also cause muscle injury from stretching too far.
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