Warm Up Exercises To Help Prevent Injury
By Sally Mirtle, a Senior Musculoskeletal Physiotherapist at Ashtead Hospital, Ramsay Health Care UK.
Sally Mirtle
Sally recommends a general warm up of 5-10 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise such as a fast walk, light jog or gentle cycle. She has also compiled a series of warm up exercises to help prevent injury whilst playing sport:
Arm Circles
Stand straight with your feet hip width apart, raise arms to side, keeping elbows extended, slowly rotate arms forward making a circle. Repeat 10 times in each direction.
Hip Rotations
Place your hands on your hips and circle your hips around, keeping your torso straight. Circle 10 times one way, and 10 times the other way.
Leg swings
Hold on to a support, keeping your torso upright. Gently swing one leg forward and back like a pendulum. Repeat 20 times each leg.
Knee Lifts
Stand with support if needed and lift one knee to your chest to tap your opposite hand. Alternate knee lifts 20 times on each side.
Mini Squats
Stand with your feet hip width apart, bend your knees and lower your bottom a small way as if sitting on a chair, slowly return to start position. Repeat 20 times.
Calf Pumps
Stand and lean onto a support with your knees straight. Alternate calf pumps, lifting one foot to tip toe and, as you lower down, lift the other leg to tip toe. Repeat 20 times.
Ramsay Health Care UK is one of the leading providers of independent hospital services in England, with an award-winning network of private hospitals and 36 facilities that span from Cornwall to Newcastle. These facilities provide a wide and comprehensive range of specialised and efficient clinical specialities from orthopaedics and general surgery, to cardiac surgery and eye surgery. Ramsay Health Care UK facilities cater for a broad range of healthcare needs from day surgery procedures to highly complex surgeries, as well as psychiatric care and rehabilitation.
Moira Chisholm
I'm the Health Editor on My Weekly and am always interested to hear what's new in this fascinating field. I also deal with the gardening, shopping pages, general features, our website content and the Ask Helen problem page. I have a special interest in Christmas content because I'm on the team for Your Best Ever Christmas Magazine, too!
