Warm-up and cool-down
The five components of a warm-up
- light exercise that gradually raises the heart rate, such as jogging.
- Mobility: taking the joints through their range of movement, such as arm circles and hip rotations.
- stretches that lengthen the muscles, held still (static) or moving (dynamic), such as lunges.
- changes of speed and direction, such as shuttle runs.
- practising the skills of the activity.
Example for netball: jog round the court; arm and hip circles; lunges and leg swings; shuttle runs with sudden changes of direction; then passing and footwork drills.
Key terms
The physical benefits of a warm-up
A warm-up:
- warms up the muscles, preparing the body for activity
- raises body temperature
- raises the
- increases the of the muscles and joints
- increases the of ligaments and tendons, so they stretch more easily
- increases blood flow and oxygen to the muscles
- increases the .
Together, these reduce the risk of injury and help performance.
Common mistake
Don't just list a component: say what it does. 'Pulse raising raises the heart rate, so more oxygen reaches the muscles.'
Key terms
The cool-down
A has two components:
- , such as a gentle jog or walk.
- , usually static stretches held for several seconds.
Its physical benefits:
- helps the body's transition back to a resting state
- gradually lowers the heart rate, body temperature and breathing rate
- keeps blood and oxygen circulating
- increases the removal of waste products, such as lactic acid
- reduces the risk of muscle soreness and stiffness
- aids , by stretching the muscles.
Example: after a football match, the team jogs a lap of the pitch, then stretches the hamstrings, quadriceps and calves.