Staying Fit for Football

The secret is Warm-Up, Cool Down and Stretch

Warm-up

Completing a warm-up before games, practices, and physical conditioning sessions, e.g. weights or running, prepares the mind and body for the harder activities to follow.

Generally, a good warm-up should:

• Last for between 10–25 minutes, depending on the activity to follow
• Progress in intensity,  from easy (eg jogging) to moderate (eg running) to high intensity (eg sprinting) activities and exercises
• Incorporate movements and dynamic stretches that are similar to what you’re about to do in the session to follow. For example, complete kicking patterns if you’re about to do some passing or shooting practice, or body weight squat movements if you’re about to do some barbell squats in the gym.

There are usually three stages to a Football warm-up:

1. Light aerobic activity to raise heart rate and warm muscles
2. Dynamic stretching to increase range of movement around joints
3. Sport-specific activity to prepare for action

The warm-up should finish at the intensity of the activity to come. For example, if the training session is to be a low intensity tactical session, the warm-up shouldn’t end with all-out sprints.

As well as preparing players for the training session to come, the New Zealand Football warm-up improves strength, power, balance, coordination and ball skills. Take a look and then make the NZ Football warm-up (PDF 124K)  part of your regular training routine.

A mini warm-up should be performed before the start of the second half of games. This has been shown to improve sprint performance after the half-time break.

Cool-down

Completing a cool-down following games, practices, and physical conditioning sessions allows the mind and body to relax and begin the process of physical recovery. To build maximum future performance, as soon as one game or training session ends, you need to begin preparing for the next.

The cool-down is also a great time to work on flexibility, while the muscles are nice and warm. Static stretches of each of the major muscle groups should be held for 20-30 seconds twice.

A good cool-down:

• Lasts for between 5–15 minutes
• Is of easy intensity, eg walking or jogging
• Incorporates static stretches. Please consult a qualified conditioning coach for direction on which static stretches are appropriate.

In addition to a cool-down, you can do other things to improve your recovery from the session you have just completed:

• Make sure you consume the right foods and fluids. See information on hydration and nutrition (ACC website).
  
• Treat any soft tissue injuries with the R.I.C.E.D. procedure and remember to avoid H.A.R.M.-ful factors. See 'Treat injuries quickly' (ACC website).

Information on Stretching

In SSC sports (sports involve ‘explosive’ type skills such as bouncing and jumping, such as football), it is important that muscles are ‘compliant’ or not 'stiff’. ‘Stiff’ muscles reduce range of motion (ROM) while ‘compliant’ muscles increase ROM. Stretching makes muscles more compliant and so helps prevent injuries in SSC sports like Football.   Range of motion (ROM) is important for all players, regardless of playing position. If you can move your limbs in to unusual positions, on demand, without hitting the limits of your normal ROM, performance may be enhanced and risk of injury lowered.

A more flexible player has a larger 'safe' ROM to work within. Greater ROM also increases what’s called your 'acceleration path'. This is the distance your limb travels before it contacts the ball. When pace of a pass or shot is important, the limb is able to transfer greater power to the ball and the result is a more effective pass or shot.

So does this mean that in sports such as Football we should stretch in the same way, all the time? The answer is no.

What, When and how?

Stretching as part of a warm-up and stretching to increase long-term ROM should be different. Stretches within a football warm-up should be dynamic and should mimic the movements that could be required later. This helps the brain and muscles prepare. To increase long-term ROM, Static stretching is required.

Dynamic stretches These involve moving a joint through it’s entire ROM and have been shown to decrease muscle stiffness, which is a risk factor for injury. Static stretches have no effect on muscle stiffness.

Static stretches - Static stretching before play may limit performance of explosive movements, such as sprinting and jumping, for up to one hour. This is obviously not good for football. The only advantage of using static stretches before play is that they may ease sore muscles and/or have psychological benefits for certain players.  After play is the ideal time to stretch muscles, while they’re still warm. Static stretches will both increase flexibility and aid recovery.   You might also like to include a specific stretching session in your weekly programme – this can be relaxing, as well as good for flexibility, but make sure you’re warm first.  Static stretches will improve ROM, but only when held for at last 20 seconds, as part of a long-term program. One 15-30s stretch per muscle group is thought to be sufficient for most people and there is no evidence that holding a stretch for any longer is beneficial. However, two to three repetitions of 10s stretches has also been recommended, so you’ve got a choice! 

Source: http://www.soccersmart.co.nz/