Simple Stretches You can Do Before Playing Badminton!
In badminton, practically every aspect of your body is constantly active. Moving around requires your core and lower body, as well as your arms, shoulders, and neck to aim and swing the racket.
Like any other activity, stretching correctly before playing badminton is critical to limiting muscular tension and avoiding injury.
How do you go about doing that?
In this blog, we will be discussing 14 easy stretches that every badminton player should do before a match.
These will assist to loosen up your muscles and lower your possibilities of damage.
Badminton Stretches:
Badminton is quite an active sport and if you are not correctly warmed up, you are leaving yourself open for injury. Stretching before a game of badminton will assist you in becoming more flexible and it will lessen the chance of straining or cramping your muscles throughout the exercise. Stretching prepares both muscles and joints for the intense exercises ahead.
Begin With Warming Up! Make sure to stretch Gently:
Before stretching, warm up by running around the court or skipping in place for a few minutes. This will guarantee that you get the most out of your badminton practice time.
Badminton conditioning for training and competition should start with some modest movement to enhance blood flow to the muscles. Because muscle length varies with different motions, the purpose of warming up before playing is to allow the muscles to respond to the movements that they will be required to perform when playing badminton ahead of time.
Stretching the muscles and joints is the next stage of the warm-up.
Any of the following exercises should not be performed at full power. Use only a portion of your strength on the muscle you're working on.
The thighs (back, front, and inner), calves, shoulder, and back muscles are the most vital to stretch.
1. Wrist Rotations
There are various techniques in badminton conditioning that demand the use of your wrists. So, before you begin playing, warm up and extend your wrists.
This practice serves as both a warm-up and a wrist stretch.
Extend your arms in front of you and ball your fists. Now, slowly form circles with your fists by moving your wrists outward.
Rotate your wrists 10 times, then repeat the exercise in the opposite direction.
Constantly prepare your physique for a big game in order to perform at your peak!
2. Wrist Flexion
Wrist flexion is the motion of bending your hand at the wrist such that your palm is facing in toward your arm. It's part of your wrist's regular range of motion.
When your wrist flexion is normal, it suggests that the muscles, bones, and tendons that comprise your wrist are functioning normally.
Extend your arm out with your palm facing down. Drop your fingers and palm to your wrist.
With your other hand, grab your fingers and pull them towards your body. Repeat with different hands.
3. Wrist Extension
Wrist extension is the movement of the hand, backwards towards the forearm's posterior side.
Extend your arm out with your palm pointing upwards. At the wrist, bend the fingers and palm.
With your other hand, grab your fingers and pull them back towards your body.
After you repeat with different hands, continue with your palm facing downward.
It has been widely researched that in order to get the benefits of stretching, you should hold each stretch for 30 - 40 seconds.
4. Overhead Shoulder Stretch
This position strengthens and stretches the arms, chest, shoulders and the back.
With your hand behind your head, make sure to point your elbow upwards.
Grab your elbow with your other hand and gradually pull to the other side until you feel a nice stretch.
Repeat on the other side.
5. Posterior Shoulder Stretch
Posterior Stretch reduces tightness and tension in your shoulders, Improves your posture and reduces your chance of shoulder injury and pain.
Maintain the natural arch in your lower back while standing straight.
Reach one arm across your chest, parallel to the floor, with your shoulders down and relaxed. Place your other hand on the elbow.
Pull your elbow in toward your chest gently and maintain the stretch.
Relax and repeat on the other side.
6. Back and Forward Neck Stretch
These stretches help in the improvement of flexibility, range of motion, and muscular pain. Including this stretch in your daily practice and badminton conditioning, helps to relieve neck strain, muscular knots, and tightness.
Stand comfortably and slowly tilt your head forward, stretching the back of your neck.
Tilt the head back gently to stretch the front of the neck. You can use your hand to help move your head forward or backward.
You are putting your muscles and joints at danger if you do not stretch. You may experience muscular strain or injury if you make quick, intense movements.
8. Side Stretch
Tight muscles on the sides of our bodies can cause back and shoulder pain. This is an excellent shoulder stretch for badminton conditioning, as it will help with overhead reaching. Lateral bending also helps to stretch the muscles of the lower back, which helps to relieve back pain.
Start with your feet slightly apart and your arm pointed upwards, grasped by the opposing hand.
Bend your torso, keeping your hips steady, such that the stretch is felt down your side.
Repeat on the other side.
9. Side Trunk Stretch
Stretch your left arm arm pointing overhead while held by the opposite hand.
Grip the left wrist with your right hand and gently pull the left arm to the right side, leaning your torso slightly.
The left arm should be positioned above the left ear.
Remember to keep your knees straight and to breathe deeply and slowly, holding the stretch for several deep breaths.
Return to a neutral standing stance and do the same on the other side.
10. Forward Lunge
A forward lunge targets your hip flex or muscles, which are part of your core.
By including this stretch into your badminton conditioning, warm-up routine, you will increase your mobility for the game and lower your chance of injury.
Simply put one leg in front of the other, about shoulder width apart. Bend your front leg and lean forward until it bears the majority of your weight.
Maintain a straight back and back leg and thrust your chest out as much as possible. A pleasant stretch should be felt.
Repeat with your other leg.
11. Side Lunge Stretch
Before a badminton game, it is necessary to stretch your hip adductor muscles with a side lunge stretch.
With your entire body and feet pointing forward and your hands on your hips.
Shift your weight to the side, maintaining erect and with both feet flat on the floor.
Repeat on the opposite side.
12. Quadricep Stretch
Quadriceps stretching is an excellent workout for badminton conditioning as it increases thigh muscular flexibility.
Stand on one leg and support yourself with one hand.
Bend your free leg back and use your free hand to grab your ankle.
Pull the foot higher behind the torso to enhance the stretch.
Repeat with the other leg.
13. Toe Touches
This exercise is ideal for extending your hamstrings, which take a lot of punishment during a badminton game.
All you have to do is bend forward and try to touch your toes while maintaining your back straight. It makes no difference if your knees are bent; just make sure your back is straight.
After touching your toes, try straightening out your legs as much as you can without bending your back.
Don't worry about letting go of your toes, you should feel a strong stretch in your hamstrings anyway.
14. The Ankle Alphabet
The alphabetical ankle combines stretching and warming up into a one action. It is critical that you extend your ankle before every game and play with extreme caution.
Lift one leg up till your knee is in line with your hip for this stretch. Trace the letters gently by rotating your ankle in different ways.
It's simple.
Imagine your big toe is like a pencil and write out the alphabet with it.
These muscle motions will aid in the development of foot and ankle strength, which will assist in balance and the reduction of falls during a game of badminton.
This will cause your ankle to extend in different directions and enhance mobility.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens if you don't stretch before you play badminton?
You are putting your muscles and joints at danger if you do not stretch. You may experience muscular strain or injury if you make quick, intense movements. Unfortunately, some injuries are irreversible. So, constantly prepare your physique for a big game in order to perform at your peak.
Should you do any cool-down exercises after playing badminton?
Cooling down after your badminton workout helps your heart rate and blood pressure to gradually return to pre-exercise levels.
Cooling down is especially crucial for competitive endurance athletes like marathon runners because it regulates blood flow.
What is the importance of cooling down exercises after playing badminton?
Unlike warm-up, cool down has its own set of guidelines. You must first relax your circulatory, muscular, and neural systems.
Second, you must relax emotionally. Adrenaline levels are frequently greater after a badminton match because players are either elated or disappointed with their performance.
How do you cool down after a game?
Many coaches also recommend post-game badminton stretching to increase flexibility and minimize muscular pain.
Light running and skipping, followed by 3-5 minutes of stretching, should constitute the cool down.
What are badminton cooling down stretches?
You can either stroll slowly, jog briefly, or stretch lightly. The idea here is to relax and return your heart rate to normal.
A brief session following your badminton event can potentially have a good and preventative impact on injury occurrence.
Rotating Wrist and Forearm Stretch
Side Trunk
Forward Lunges
Alphabetical Ankle
Toe Touches
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