Frisbee or disc golf is popular outdoor sport where players attempt to cover a specially designed course using as few throws as possible. Although Frisbee golf is not as active as sports like soccer or basketball, players have to walk long distances and try to throw their discs with lots of power, so warming up before playing minimizes your risk of injury.
Pulse Raiser
Before you do any type of stretches or mobility exercises, it is important to raise your heart rate and increase your body temperature. This can be done with some brisk walking or light jogging around an out-of-play area of the course. Spend three to five minutes walking or jogging until you feel slightly out of breath and begin to sweat lightly.
Shoulder Rolls
To warm up your shoulders, stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. Keep your arms straight but loose and pull your shoulders back. Shrug your shoulders up to your ears, push your shoulders forwards and then push them back down. Perform five to 10 rolls forwards and then five to 10 rolls backwards.
Arm Circles
Continue to warm up your shoulders by placing your hands on your shoulders and rotating your upper arms backwards and then forwards five to 10 times. On completion, extend your arms and perform five to 10 full circles with your arms straight. If you prefer, you can do this exercise one arm at a time.
Spine Twists
A good throw in Frisbee golf requires you to twist your spine so it’s important that you warm this injury-prone area thoroughly. Stand with your feet hip-width apart and your hands by your sides. Make sure your arms are relaxed and loose. Keeping your hips facing forwards, turn your shoulders to the left and allow your arms to swing around behind your left side. Immediately turn to the right and allow your arms to swing around behind your right side. Continue alternating turns to the left and right until you have performed 20 repetitions. As you feel your back warm up, try to increase the range of movement by looking over your shoulder and behind you.
Side-to-Side Squats
The rules of Frisbee golf allow players to take a run up before throwing your disc, so it’s important to warm up your legs as well as your arms and back. Stand with your feet together and your hands by your sides. Step out to your left so that your feet are approximately 1 1/2 shoulder-widths apart. Bend both knees and descend into a quarter squat. Step your left leg back in so that your feet are together again. Immediately step out to your right and repeat on the other side. Continue alternating until you have completed 12 to 20 repetitions in total. You can add a side arm raise when performing this exercise to provide a whole-body warm up.
References
- "ACSM's Resources for the Personal Trainer"; American College of Sports Medicine; 2009
- "Disc Golf: All You Need to Know About the Game You Want to Play"; Michael Steven Gregory and Leticia Plate; 2003
- "The Complete Book of Frisbee: The History of the Sport"; Victor A. Malafronte and F. Davis Johnson; 1998
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