How to Warm Up, Stretch, and Recover Without Increasing Injury Risk

How to Warm Up, Stretch, and Recover Without Increasing Injury Risk

Whether to stretch or not, and how to stretch to benefit maximally has been a controversial topic for some time.

Static stretching can be harmful if not done correctly; for example, when you stretch a muscle, its tendon attachment to bone can become irritated and cause pain (called enthesopathy).

People typically stretch statically before they play and before they are warmed up. This too can cause pain or damage.

A safer, and arguably more effective strategy is to follow this sequence:

1. Warm up gently: ride a stationary bike, go for a brisk walk that transitions into a jog, hit some balls. This should be done with sweats on to keep the muscles warm.

2. Dynamic stretching: For example, for hamstrings, you can do the following:

• Stand next to a fixed structure for balance and perform 10-15 forward and backward kicks,
• Start with low amplitude and then gradually increasing amplitude (how high forward you kick).
• Concentrate on what the muscle feels like: you should notice that it loosens up a little with each kick.
• Repeat on both sides.

3. Play.

4. Cool down slowly: once your game is completed, put on a warm layer (sweats) and allow your muscles to cool down slowly.

5. Static stretching: as you are cooling down, perform some stretches of all major muscle groups. This helps to minimize some of the muscle soreness that typically happens after a game, particularly a challenging game. It will also set you up for a less stiff start to your next game.

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