Injury Prevention - Importance of Warming Up

Injury Prevention

Probably 75% of Football injuries are preventable. The best protection from injury is correct warm up and conditioning which can help you avoid unnecessary injury that can ruin the season.

Warm Up

Warming Up is often overlooked but should be part of your injury prevention routine. A good warm up will:

• Increase the temperature of muscles - they work better at a temperature of 40 degrees.
• Increase blood flow and oxygen to muscles.
• Increase the speed of nerve impulses - making you faster.
• Increase range of motion at joints reducing the risk of tearing muscles and ligaments.

Warm up will not only help avoid injury but will also improve performance.

A warm up should consist of:

• Gentle jog to circulate blood and oxygen supplying the muscles with more energy to work with.
• Stretching to increase the range of motion at joints (see below).
• Sports specific exercises and drills.
  
  

The warm up should last between 15 and 30 minutes. Do not warm up too early. The benefits are lost after about 30 minutes of inactivity.