SportMed Soccer offers another tip in the Province Sports Academy. This week we focus on warming up and cooling down properly.

In any sport, it’s important to properly warm up and cool down. With an enormous amount of running throughout ninety minutes, soccer is definitely no exception.

A good warm up can decrease the risk of injury as well as improve performance on the field. An athlete should start off with a general warm up: a light jog for 10-15 minutes. Next, add some dynamic activities like walking lunges and high knees. Note: It’s NOT recommended to perform static stretches during your warm up – save these for post game.

The athlete should then work through some drills both with and without the ball. The drills should begin at low intensity, gradually increasing as the athlete warms up.

After a game or training session, it’s important to have the athlete or team conduct a proper cool down rather than simply heading home. “Cooling down” should include light aerobic activity like jogging or walking for 10-15 minutes. Add some static stretching of the major muscle groups and your body will thank you!

For more information, check out facebook.com/sportmedsoccer.

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