World Athletics Day 2020: Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises For Youth Athletes

World Athletics Day is celebrated every year on 7 May to promote the importance of sports in our lives and encourage new talents in the field of athletics. Sports and exercises hold a very important place in our lives. An athlete must be well-trained from all aspects, which should include warm-up and cooldown exercises. You might have noticed an athlete performing dynamic warm-ups before any main exercises or sports. Do you know why?

Dynamic warm-up exercises helps the body prepare well to carry out any form of workouts without hurting the performance. The best thing about dynamic warm-ups is it is less time-taking, very effective and productive. It sets the tone for the entire workout session and helps you do your best. Dynamic warm-ups involve stretching the body in various motions. Take a look at its advantages and examples.

Advantages Of Dynamic Warm-Ups

Some of the best advantages of dynamic warm-up exercises are:

• It increases the blood flow throughout the body.
• It provides muscle elasticity and lubrication to joints.
• Increases breathing rate to cope with the demands of workouts.
• It stretches multiple body parts and prevents the risk of damage caused due to sudden movement.
• It improves coordination among muscles.
• It provides enough strength to carry out all types of workouts.
• It warms up the nervous system making them send signals more efficiently.

Dynamic Warm-Up Exercises for Youth Athletes

1. Lunge Walk

This warm-up exercise is good for improving balance, boosting body functionality, hip flexibility and improving core stability.

How to do: Stand tall. Then take a big step towards with your left foot and lower down with your hip. Bent in a 90-degree angle so that the front thigh stands parallel to the floor. Then push your right foot and bring it in a forward lunge, same as the left foot. Repeat the process 20-25 times.

2. Arm Crossovers

It helps loosen the arm muscles and stretch muscles of shoulder, biceps and triceps. This makes the arm and shoulder muscles flexible during workouts.

How to do: Take your right hand forward and pull it towards your left shoulder. Press the right hand with the arms of your left hand on your chest. Repeat the process with another hand.

3. Walking Knee Hugs

This helps to stretch the muscles of your thigh, hips, calves and hamstrings. The warm-up also helps improve athletes balance.

How to do: Stand on both of your toes. Knee lift the left leg and bring it towards your chest, holding the leg with both of your hands while the other leg still on the toes. Then keep the left leg down and also relax the right leg from toe position. Repeat the process with the other leg while walking. Do it 20 times.

4. Leg Swings

This warm-up increases mobility and flexibility of the legs. It stretches the joints of the legs and makes them carry out a range of motions during workouts.

How to do: Hold a fence or wall with one hand. Keep the torso straight and tall and swing one of the legs forward and backwards, as far as the hips allow. You can also put the other hand on your lower back to guard the motion. Do it around 10 times. Repeat the process with another leg.

5. Jumping Jacks

It comes with a lot of cardiovascular benefits. Jumping jacks increases blood circulation
throughout the body, maintains blood pressure and provides flexibility to overall body parts.

How to do: Stand straight with arms aside. Jump up spreading the legs at the same time. While jumping, lift your arms above your head. Then, jump again and bring your legs together and lower the hands to normal position. Repeat the process for around 15-20 times.