The enhancement of your performance and minimization of injury risk can be significantly influenced by a well-crafted and thoroughly implemented pre-exercise routine. But, how do we determine the most effective routine for you?

The answer relies on the unique requirements of your sport and your personal biomechanics and physical abilities. An ideal pre-exercise routine would be one that is personalised to your requirements and your sport. It should aim to prime your body for optimal performance, whether it be for a training session or a competitive event. This entails augmenting the circulation and temperature of the muscles you will use, increasing the power output of these muscles, heating up the tendons, achieving the necessary range of motion in the involved joints, and gradually elevating your heart rate.

Dynamic stretching exercises, when conducted in the context of a warm-up, can enhance the rate of torque development, increase peak torque, and reduce passive resistive torque. Coupled with stronger muscle contractions, dynamic stretching exercises can contribute to optimised muscle performance in subsequent activities (1). It's crucial to view this process as activation and mobilisation rather than mere stretching. The exercises chosen should address specific movement patterns that can bolster athletic performance, rather than serving as a generic warm-up. Furthermore, these exercises should incorporate movement patterns that will improve your coordination in your sport.

Example warm up for running:

• Toe walks

• Alternating glute bridges with hip flexion

• Drinking bird combined with a walking lunge

• A-walk

• A-skip

For different team sports, there exist numerous outstanding, evidence-based pre-exercise protocols that I strongly recommend, such as the FIFA 11 for soccer, The Knee Program from Netball Australia, AFL Prep to Play for Australian Rules Football, and the PEP program (Prevent injury and Enhance Performance Program). These routines are tailored to mitigate injury risks and prepare the neuromuscular system for physical performance in their respective sports. Research has demonstrated that when these protocols are integrated regularly into pre-exercise routines for training and matches, they can reduce the likelihood of injuries such as ACL tears.

Reference

1. Opplert J, Babault N. Acute Effects of Dynamic Stretching on Mechanical Properties Result From both Muscle-Tendon Stretching and Muscle Warm-Up. J Sports Sci Med. 2019 June 1;18(2):351-358. PMID: 31191106; PMCID: PMC6543981.