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Craig Barrett - Triple Olympian, Racewalker

Warm–up, cool-down and stretch

Warm-up

Completing a warm-up before games, practices, and physical conditioning sessions, eg weights or running, prepares the mind and body for the harder activities to follow.

Generally, a good warm-up should:

  • Last for between 10–25 minutes, depending on the activity to follow
  • Progress in intensity,  from easy (eg jogging) to moderate (eg running) to high intensity (eg sprinting) activities and exercises
  • Incorporate movements and dynamic stretches that are similar to what you’re about to do in the session to follow. For example, complete kicking patterns if you’re about to do some passing or shooting practice, or body weight squat movements if you’re about to do some barbell squats in the gym.

There are usually three stages to a soccer warm-up:

  1. Light aerobic activity to raise heart rate and warm muscles
  2. Dynamic stretching to increase range of movement around joints
  3. Sport-specific activity to prepare for action

The warm-up should finish at the intensity of the activity to come. For example, if the training session is to be a low intensity tactical session, the warm-up shouldn’t end with all-out sprints.

As well as preparing players for the training session to come, the New Zealand Football warm-up improves strength, power, balance, coordination and ball skills. Take a look and then make the NZ Football warm-up (PDF 124K)  part of your regular training routine.

A mini warm-up should be performed before the start of the second half of games. This has been shown to improve sprint performance after the half-time break.

Cool-down

Completing a cool-down following games, practices, and physical conditioning sessions allows the mind and body to relax and begin the process of physical recovery. To build maximum future performance, as soon as one game or training session ends, you need to begin preparing for the next.

The cool-down is also a great time to work on flexibility, while the muscles are nice and warm. Static stretches of each of the major muscle groups should be held for 20-30 seconds twice.

A good cool-down:

  • Lasts for between 5–15 minutes
  • Is of easy intensity, eg walking or jogging
  • Incorporates static stretches. Please consult a qualified conditioning coach for direction on which static stretches are appropriate.

In addition to a cool-down, you can do other things to improve your recovery from the session you have just completed:

  • Make sure you consume the right foods and fluids. See information on hydration and nutrition (ACC website).
  • Treat any soft tissue injuries with the R.I.C.E.D. procedure and remember to avoid H.A.R.M.-ful factors. See 'Treat injuries quickly' (ACC website).

 

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