File photo credit: SportSG

A dynamic warm up prepares your muscles for exercise and improves resistance to injury. It also works to coordinate all your muscles, increasing flexibility and stability.

• Gradually increases heart rate and core temperature before the actual work out, allowing the athlete to immediately begin high intensity training
• Provides mental preparation, increased cohesion and motivation in team settings
• Increases balance, stability and long term flexibility
• Smaller muscles are trained through regular dynamic warm ups, improving overall conditioning

• Always begin with a static component
• Use varying degrees of intensity, from “swing” to “pull” to “skip”
• Hold all static poses for 1-2 seconds
• Progressively increase stretches
• Concentrate on correct posture and balance
• Transition smoothly between exercises without breaks
• Concentrate on using muscle strength – Do not rely on momentum
• Move the joints through the full range of movement
• Learn to breathe properly to improve relaxation and mental preparation for the exercises
• Team members should complete all exercises together, at the same pace
• Sample Dynamic Warm Up plans

• 10 ½ neck circles
• 10 arm swings across chest left, 10 on the right
• 10 golf swings, left and right side
• 10 full arm circles forward, 10 backwards, left and right side
• 10 4-way wrist stretches, left and right side
• 10 hip circles
• 10 butt wiggles
• 10 straight trunk rotations
• 10 full trunk twists
• 10 knee circles, left and right side
• 10 knee bends, left and right side
• 10 ankle rolls, left and right side
• 10 180/360 degree cat jumps

• 2 mins Heel walk – heel/toe walk – skip
• 2 mins Butt kick walk – pull – skip
• 2 mins high knee walk – pull – skip
• 2 mins Hurdle walk – pull – skip
• 2 mins side cross walk – skip
• 2 mins lunge step forward – wide – cross over
• 2 mins forward sprint – slow – medium – fast
• 2 mins backward sprint – slow – medium – fast