Playing a sport like football requires stamina, agility, sharpness and some physicality alongside skills, technique and knowledge of the game. In Football pre-match warm ups are important as they help the players to get the fitness level, increase sharpness and reduce fatigue, increases agility, flexibility, help build stamina and avoid injuries. Whether you are playing a match with your friends at a local ground or at a competitive level, it is always essential to warm up before the game begins.
Here are 3 stages warm up exercises which should be done half an hour before the match:
Stage 1
You need to start jogging and slowly increase your speed and start running, you need to do this for 10 minutes continuously. This is done to increase your heart rate and body temperature slightly. Don’t run vigorously which will make you drain your energy even before the match.
Stage 2
Perform basic stretches which will help avoid strain especially during shooting, jumping or tackling. Then go and do some stretches which you will be doing in the game, like kicking high, jumping, squats etc. This stretching activity should go till 10 minutes.
Stage 3
Now it is time to introduce the ball and practice some basic footballing skills. Practice short passings, then move on to ball control, later try some shooting and heading the ball. Don’t overdo, just practice these basic drills which are important for a footballer to master. Do this for 10 minutes and your warm up is done, now it is time for the battlefield.
You can always change the timing, decrease exercises according to the match. For practice sessions only a 10 minute warm up of running and stretching is enough, for a small match with friends, 10-15 minutes warm up will do while playing at a competitive level it will be better to do all the steps for 10 minutes each to get ready for the game.
– Jainam Jhaveri
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