As everyone knows by now, warming up is important in order to mitigate the risk of injury and optimise performance.
It can be tricky to make up a warm up for football on the spot however, and many players end up taking shots at the keeper for their warm up. In this post, we’ll look at some possible warm up routines.
- Individual Football Warm up drills
ExerciseTime/RepsSets
Light, steady state jog5 mins1
Hip circles10 each direction2
Toe flexion and points10 each foot1
Ankle circles5 each foot1
“Over the gate” hip warm up10 each leg1
Backwards over the gate10 each leg1
50% max “sprints” 10 secs. Rest 20 secs5
Light Leg swings forward/back10 each leg1
Light Leg swings side to side10 each leg1
Walking Lunges201
10m diagnol runs (set out a square)6 runs4
High knees 20m/20 secs2
Butt Kicks20m/20 secs2
Arm circles10 each arm1
ExerciseReps/TimeRepetitions
Light steady state jog 5 mins
High knees 20 secs2
Butt kicks 20 secs2
Tip toe walking20m1
Sumo squats 151
Over the gate hip openers10 per side1
80% sprints with ball*20m5
1 touch passing left then right foot**1 min3
Multi-directional lunges 101
Reverse lunges5 per leg1
Tuck jumps41
Run on the spot (100% effort)10 seconds2
*sprint to cone and around cone and back x 5
**Do this in pairs or threes. Perform light leg swings or squats for 30 seconds in between sets of 1 minute.
The Temperature Paradox
Muscles can produce more force and power at a slightly higher temperature than ‘normal’
Warm muscles are also a lot less likely to get injured
However, the higher a person’s core temperature, the more likely they are to get dehydrated
Endurance can also be impeded by high core temperatures.
- Keep hydrated during your warm up with a glucose/maltodextrin drink with electrolytes
- Keep ‘moderately warm’ after your warm up, so your body isn’t cool again when you start the match (wear a tracksuit if you can)
- Cooling the face or palms is the quickest way to reduce core body temperature*
*The soles of the feet, the face and the palms are called “the Glabrous Skin” and you can quickly reduce your core body temperature by applying a cool pack or ice pack to the palms and/or face.
