The game of baseball requires the use of almost every major muscle group in the body. Whether it's diving for a ground ball, throwing to home plate or sliding for the winning run, your muscles and joints need to be in top condition at game time. To get them ready, there are many exercises you can do to warm up before game time.
Jogging and Sprints
Jog a couple of laps around the field to start your baseball warm-up routine. Jogging gets your heart pumping and your blood circulating to your muscles and will get your body ready for the game. Because baseball involves short bursts of speed and athleticism rather than endurance, sprints also are a common warm-up exercise. To do a sprint warmup, pick a distance between 20 and 50 feet away and run as fast as you can from where you are standing to that point. Take a 15-second rest and repeat the sprint back to your starting point. Repeat this warmup several times to acclimate your body before game time.
Trunk Bends
Stand with your legs more than shoulder-width apart and bend at the waist slowly to touch your toes on your right foot. Hold this position for 10 to 15 seconds, then stand back up and reach for the other foot and hold for another 10 to 15 seconds. Do not bounce while holding your stretch. Trunk bends will loosen up your midsection and your hamstrings.
Lunges
Lunges loosen up your leg and glute muscles, which are some of the primary muscles used during base running. To perform a lunge, stand with your feet together and extend your right leg out a little more than a normal pace. Bend at the knee so that your upper right leg is perpendicular to the ground and your left knee is almost touching the ground. Stand back up and bring your left foot up so your feet are together, and repeat with the routine, this time with the left foot extended. Repeat lunges until you reach a pre-determined spot, then turn around and repeat the lunges again until you arrive back at the starting point.
Upper Body Stretches
Since you'll be using many muscles in the upper body to swing at the ball when you're up to bat, make sure you're stretched out. Stretch your arms by bringing one across your chest and pushing your elbow close to your body with your other hand. Hold this stretch for 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat with the other arm. Stretch your shoulder joint by bringing your arm behind your head and pushing down on your elbow and holding for 10 to 15 seconds, repeating for the other arm. Bring both hands behind your waist and clasp them together and raise them up, which will help stretch your arm and back muscles.
Member Comments