Need Of Stretches In Soccer

It is very interesting and thoughtful to think about how much Soccer is loved by the people around the world. The games of the last World Cup was seen by almost 4 billion people from around the world. It should also be noted down that the whole world population is around 8 billion. The game has the potential to make cities standstill and everyone just turns to watch the game from wherever they can.

Soccer is known as Football by almost the rest of the world except the United States of America. The players must be very familiar with the stretching and it can only be achieved if the player has the passion and practicing it since a young age. The football stretches play a very important role in enhancing the performance of a player. 

Dynamic Stretching

In simpler terms, this stretching is more of an activity-based and helps the players in building their muscles to make movements with better speed and flexibility. Some dynamic stretching for Soccer is mentioned below:

• Butt-kick
• High knees
• Open/closed knees
• Frankenstein
• Ankle rotation, etc.

These stretches are very simple and must be done before going to the field. Each of these stretches requires a lot of muscle movement.

Stretches To Warm Up

Going with the static stretching is not going to help you perform any better in the game. If the players are still opting for static exercises where they hold their body by stretching a particular muscle for a fixed period of time, should change to dynamic one as soon as possible. 

In a game like football, the movements of your joints and muscles should be in proper coordination. It can be achieved by slowly increasing the breathing and heart rate. What it does is it grease the muscles and make them move more easily.

Some of the Soccer warm up stretches are:

• Jumping jacks- getting your hands all the way up and widening the feet simultaneously.
• Walking knee hugs- alternatively, stretch the leg in the position that it reaches up to your knee. Do the same for another one.
• Arm circling- stand straight and move your hands in circles from the shoulders.
• Shuffling sideways- try to move your whole body to any side, left or right, by doing little jumps.
• Pedaling backward- it is simply walking backward without looking back.
• Lunges- try to walk but on every step, stretch the leg all the way backward.

These are just some of the exercises and must be done in a controlled environment.

Dynamic Warm-Up

All the above-mentioned exercises fall under dynamic warm-up. However, there are some more that can be done such as,

• Squats- stand straight and make at least one-foot space between the feet. Join the hand up to chest level. Sit and stand by keeping the head straight.
• Leg Swings- stand on both the feet, bend a bit towards the opposite side and swing the leg as much as possible. If you want to start with the right leg, bend a bit towards the left and start. Don’t take the help of any support. It is one of the best dynamic warm up Soccer exercises.
• Inchworm- stand on your feet and palms, try to stretch as much as possible. Then come forward by feet only and make the hands stable. Then go forward by hands, making legs stable.
• Karaoke- the exercise is a bit difficult and must be started slowly. You must try it under supervision.

There are also many health benefits related to Soccer as it’s a game that requires movement and staying healthy is the most important.

Importance of warm-ups

The game of soccer needs the player to move quickly and able to make rapid movements. Stretching and Soccer warm ups exercises help the players to make their muscles flexible and healthy. A proper motion in the joints is also very much needed to improve the player’s performance and try to better the game.

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Concluding…

After going through all the exercises and warm-up stretching, it is very important to understand how much your body can handle and what are the basic sets that a beginner can start with. Soccer, or better named as Football, is a very dynamic sport and needs a lot of activity and motion to play well. Soccer dynamic warm up stretches are must right before going to play. It actually makes the muscles and joints much easier to move.