injuries dropped to a bare minimum" - Jan Oberholzer
- The warm-up used by many rugby teams all around the world usually consists of a lap of the oval, followed
by a few lazy sit down stretches. Is this adequate?
To answer this question, we need to ascertain the purpose of a ‘warm-up’, and whether or not the above
technique addresses this purpose.
Why do we Warm Up?
To increase core temperature
To increase heart rate and blood flow to skeletal tissue
To increase the activation of the central nervous system
To increase the rate and force of muscle contraction and contractile mechanical efficiency
To increase the suppleness of connective tissue
Generally the jog is at a very slow pace, so their core temperature is unlikely to rise and their heart rate may
not increase. Stopping to do stretches then slows the heart rate down further and especially during the
winter the body temperature will reduce. Furthermore, static stretching cold muscles may increase chance
of a muscle tear.
A Dynamic Warm up consists of functional-based exercises that use sport-specific movements to prepare
the body for activity. Dynamic warm ups require balance and coordination and which the player may often
experience during the session.
