1. A Soccer Warmup Starts Easy
Soccer's an aerobically demanding sport. Many players end up running 4 miles or more over the course of a single game, so kick-starting your heart is just as important as warming up your muscles. Jogging is probably one of the best ways to limber up and get your blood pumping, so try starting your warm-up with a smooth, easy jog that lasts for about 5 minutes. This will fire up the muscles in your legs and prepare your body for the more strenuous warm-up activities to come.
2. Use Soccer-Specific Moves
The next phase of your warm-up should include basic drills like knee lifts, skips, side shuffles and hops. If you've ever watched a professional soccer match, you've likely noticed the subs warming up near the touch line as they wait to come in. They rarely jog back and forth for their whole warm-up, though; they mix up their movements to get a more well-rounded workout. Adding soccer-specific movements like cuts and shifts prepares your muscles for the sharp turns and sudden stops you'll endure during the game.
3. Make Your Stretches Dynamic
Recent research suggests that traditional warm-ups involving lots of static stretching (holding a stretch for a set period of time) aren't effective in preventing injury. Since this is the main focus of a warm-up, especially in an aggressive sport like soccer, what stretches will get the job done? Dynamic stretching. The purpose of dynamic stretching is to put your limbs through their full range of motion actively instead of passively. Leg swings, walking lunges and hurdle step-overs are good choices for soccer because they mimic the different kicking and running movements you'll do during a game.
4. Ready, Set, Explode
In addition to a strong set of lungs, playing soccer also requires speed, agility and power. Because of this, every good soccer warm-up should include drills that use explosive movements. Short sprints are the classic example of this, and it's rare to see a team warm up without them. Cone drills, backwards sprints and easy plyometric hops are also effective in gearing up your muscles and nerves for the high speed of the game.
5. Don't Forget the Ball
Although the main focus of a warm-up is to prepare your body for the physical demands of the game, it's a good idea to incorporate a few drills with the soccer ball to warm up your touch, as well. If you're on your own, juggling is the easiest way of doing this. If you're warming up with your team, do some basic passing and heading drills to establish your feel for the ball before stepping onto the field.
Soccer's an aerobically demanding sport. Many players end up running 4 miles or more over the course of a single game, so kick-starting your heart is just as important as warming up your muscles. Jogging is probably one of the best ways to limber up and get your blood pumping, so try starting your warm-up with a smooth, easy jog that lasts for about 5 minutes. This will fire up the muscles in your legs and prepare your body for the more strenuous warm-up activities to come.
2. Use Soccer-Specific Moves
The next phase of your warm-up should include basic drills like knee lifts, skips, side shuffles and hops. If you've ever watched a professional soccer match, you've likely noticed the subs warming up near the touch line as they wait to come in. They rarely jog back and forth for their whole warm-up, though; they mix up their movements to get a more well-rounded workout. Adding soccer-specific movements like cuts and shifts prepares your muscles for the sharp turns and sudden stops you'll endure during the game.
3. Make Your Stretches Dynamic
Recent research suggests that traditional warm-ups involving lots of static stretching (holding a stretch for a set period of time) aren't effective in preventing injury. Since this is the main focus of a warm-up, especially in an aggressive sport like soccer, what stretches will get the job done? Dynamic stretching. The purpose of dynamic stretching is to put your limbs through their full range of motion actively instead of passively. Leg swings, walking lunges and hurdle step-overs are good choices for soccer because they mimic the different kicking and running movements you'll do during a game.
4. Ready, Set, Explode
In addition to a strong set of lungs, playing soccer also requires speed, agility and power. Because of this, every good soccer warm-up should include drills that use explosive movements. Short sprints are the classic example of this, and it's rare to see a team warm up without them. Cone drills, backwards sprints and easy plyometric hops are also effective in gearing up your muscles and nerves for the high speed of the game.
5. Don't Forget the Ball
Although the main focus of a warm-up is to prepare your body for the physical demands of the game, it's a good idea to incorporate a few drills with the soccer ball to warm up your touch, as well. If you're on your own, juggling is the easiest way of doing this. If you're warming up with your team, do some basic passing and heading drills to establish your feel for the ball before stepping onto the field.
