Warming Up Properly When You Are Not Twenty

A few minutes of preparation is the cheapest protection against the pulled muscle that ends a season. The principle is simple: raise, move, then play.

What a warm-up is for

Warming up means gradually raising your heart rate and moving your joints and muscles through the ranges you are about to use. The aim is to arrive at kick-off already moving, not to start from cold.

A simple order

• Raise. Five minutes of easy jogging or brisk walking.
• Move. Leg swings, lunges, hip circles, gentle changes of direction.
• Play. Short passes and a few easy shots, building toward match pace.

Common mistakes

• Arriving late and going straight into a full-speed game.
• Blasting shots at the goalkeeper as the first activity of the evening.
• Skipping the warm-up in cold weather, when it matters most.

Afterwards

Walk for a few minutes before you sit down. Drink water. If something hurts sharply, stop; soreness the next day is normal, sudden pain during play is not.

A caution

This page is general information, not medical advice. If you have an existing injury or condition, ask a physiotherapist or doctor what is appropriate for you.

updated 2026-10-13