It may not be the most exciting part of playing tennis, or any sport for that matter, but warming up is absolutely key if you want to avoid those niggling aches and pains – or a more serious injury.
“Well, duh, everyone knows that”, I hear you moan. However, many of us still fall into the trap of warming up statically – on the spot – instead of dynamically. A couple of half-hearted quad-stretches before a grueling match will not cut the mustard.
Never fear, this in-depth video from Essential Tennis outlines a few key dynamic warm up techniques, including “butt kicks”, “Frankensteins” or “tin soldiers” and all-important upper-body stretches.
So you’ve mastered an effective, dynamic warm up – now it’s time to tweak your warm down
Image: CarineO6 on Flickr