Warm-up Dynamically

It’s now Day 8 of the 21 Days to Building a Better Ballplayer challenge.  Today’s task is to start warming up dynamically.

Move with Purpose

Many athletes are still missing the boat when it comes to a solid warm-up routine.  Whether you are preparing for practice, a training session, or a game, every ballplayer should incorporate a quality dynamic warm-up that wakes up the body’s nervous system and muscles.  I’ve discussed how to improve your warm-up before here on the Full Windup, so I won’t go into much detail here on this post.

A warm-up that keeps you moving is much better than a warm-up that includes holding static stretches for prolonged durations.  Static stretching facilitates your muscles to relax, while active stretching preserves muscle stiffness.  Increased muscle stiffness correlates to better power output allowing you to be more explosive on the diamond or in the weight room.  And that is exactly what you want.  Better power output equals a quicker and faster athlete.

The bottom line is this – any pre-activity warm-up should be preceded with dynamic movements that take the body through short stretches followed by quick contractions.  Static stretching can be saved for post-activity cool down or recovery days.

So, check out Improving Your Warm-up and start priming your body for success.