Over the last few seasons English football teams have introduced the practice of a cool down at the end of a training session or match. This has been influenced by the increase in foreign coaches and players in this country; cool downs have been practised for many years by European teams, most notably the West … Read more
It has long been suggested that performing a warm up and a cool down before and after sporting activity can help reduce the incidence of injury and promote recovery following training and matches. Central to these practices is improving flexibility through stretching. Here, we guide you through the science of stretching, explain the various techniques … Read more
What is a warm up? A warm up is intended to raise body temperature and prepare a player physiologically and psychologically to compete. Research has suggested that the optimum duration of the warm up period, before flexibility or functional activities are undertaken, is between 15 and 20 minutes. The warm up should gradually increase in … Read more