Although the article below is geared towards hockey, it can be easily applied to tennis or any other sport for this matter. The pre-match warm-up is time consuming and many of us don't have that time. I suggest you pick out a few exercises and use those prior to each match. The idea is not stretch your muscles prior to the event.

PRE GAME PREPARATION - WHAT TO DO?

It's not traditional stretching, that's for sure

By Lorne Goldenberg BPE, CSCS, PFLC

Have you ever stepped onto the ice or the field early in a game and found that you had a hard time finding your legs?

At the NHL level, there is no excuse for not being prepared the moment you step on the ice. The difference between a weekend warrior and the NHL is that the pros don't have to worry about homework, a 9-5 job, getting the right nutrition, or having the appropriate equipment.

Although stress from work and school can be a factor, and not eating right can be a huge factor, this article is going to focus on the physical part of pre-game preparation.

The routine that many people follow is to arrive at the rink or field right before the starting time, stretch for a minute, and get right into the game. From a physiological viewpoint, this is not nearly enough to properly prepare the body for the quick starts, stops, acceleration, body contact, and movement at maximum speed. These movements, which are so important to success on the ice or field, MUST be worked on before your game, if you want to be really ready to play.

The first mistake that most athletes make is static stretching before they play. Most people think that stretching and holding the stretch for a period of time will loosen you up and get your muscles ready to perform. It actually does the opposite. Most of the recent research on pre-competition stretching demonstrates that there is a loss of anywhere from 4-12% of your power and strength.

Yes, that is a correct; stretching will cause a decrease in your power and strength. In simple terms, what the stretching does is kind of like putting your brain to sleep, dampening the ability of the brain to communicate with the muscle. If you think about it, it really does make sense. Hockey, for example, is a game about explosive movements, quick feet, change of direction, and ballistic rotation around your spine. Static stretching is really just a slow controlled movement where you hold a muscle in a stretched position for 10-30 seconds.

So the question is, Why would you do something right before a game that might slow you down? Unfortunately, most people just don't know better, or they may have been given bad advice by an uninformed trainer.

So what can you do to prepare for a game, when you don't have a training facility available at every rink or field you go into? Lots.

You can actually get a pro-style pre-game warm-up with little or no equipment, and you can do it just about anywhere. This warm-up will take approximately 15-20 minutes to perform, so make sure you get to the rink on time to complete it.

1. Jog or skip rope for five minutes - this provides the body with a good overall warm-up, raising core temperature.

2. Walking lunges - two lengths of 15-20 yards provides dynamic stretch to the hips and knees.

3. Lateral crossover lunges - two lengths of 10-15 yards - provides dynamic stretch to the rotators in the hip.

4. Reverse hip extension with toe-touch walk - two lengths of 10-15 yards - provides dynamic stretch to the hamstrings, glutes and lower back.

5. Power skipping - four lengths of 20 yards - provides explosive challenge to the hips and glutes

6. Short sprints - 5- 10-yard sprints - provide a speed stimulus to the brain.

7. Lateral line hops - two sets of 20 - jump back and forth over a field line. Provides explosive stimulus to the body.

8. Tuck jump - two sets of 10. Jump straight up in the air, bring your knees to the chest, explode back off the ground as quick as you can.

9. Lateral bounds - two sets of 16-foot contacts. This is like skating in place, moving laterally, back and forth as fast as you can.

Numbers 1-4 should be done consecutively with no rest. Numbers 5-9 should have 20-30 seconds rest between each set.

Try this routine before your next game, and you will feel the power when you step on the ice for your first shift. Play hard from start to finish!