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When Tiger Woods first stepped onto the golf scene and amazed everyone, it was more amazing when he explained that he believed in working out. The golfer’s of yesteryear did not embrace his concept because in their minds golfing doesn’t require that you workout. When Tiger’s power became so dominant, it became apparent that there must be something to this working out thing. Tiger was aware that in an effort to be the best at your sport, it requires that you condition your muscles to perform specifically for the movement(s) required by your sport. The same applies to cheerleading.
I understand how you need to condition your body to make it happen! I have often been asked “what is the most important thing about a sports specific conditioning program for cheerleaders?” While this may be one question it has many answers. Today, however, I will focus on the first thing I teach in my workshops and one of the most neglected: The Importance of a Proper Warm-up. Warming up is one of the most important parts of conditioning and should take place BEFORE you stretch. One of the simplest ways to create an injury that can have you out for weeks is by neglecting something that only takes 10 minutes.
The first thing you want to do is raise your body’s core temperature so that it is safe to start stretching your muscles. The most basic way to do this is through some form of cardiovascular/aerobic exercise. This can be running in place, jumping jacks, jogging around your facility etc… After about 10-15 minutes you should start recognizes the rise in your core temperature and heart rate. Once your body is warm it is now safe to start stretching.
A good way to understand the importance of warming up before stretching is to think of your muscles as a piece of chewing gum. If you were to take your gum and place it in the refrigerator by the time you take it out it would be stiff. If you immediately tried chewing the gum, although not impossible, it would be difficult to chew. There would be pressure on your jawbones and the joints of your mouth as well as the gum would be too hard to enjoy. However, if you were to take the gum from the refrigerator and massage it between your fingers, by warming it up you give it elasticity and are able to stretch it. Not only would you be able to stretch it further when you go to chew it…there would be no pressure on your jawbone or the joints in your mouth and the experience would be great! Your muscles act in the same way. The warmer they are the more elasticity they have and the more elasticity they have the greater your chances increase of preventing an injury. And when you do everything you can to prevent injury…the better your chances are to become the best cheerleader you can be!
By doing this one simple thing, you can help decrease a very preventable and unnecessary sports injury. Just remember, a very small thing can have a very large impact and make or break your cheer career.
FIT 2 CHEER was founded by Sherry Leetham and her revolutionary PoundPoms were created for sports specific cheer conditioning. Sherry is a former collegiate cheerleader, clinic instructor and private cheer coach. She has been in the fitness industry for 15 years and is a nationally certified personal trainer and group fitness instructor. She offers training and workshops for cheer specific conditioning.Visit Fit 2 Cheer for more information.
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