Warming up before you play
Physical Education · Key Stage 1 · The School
What a warm-up does
A warm-up makes your heart beat a little faster. It sends more blood to your muscles. Warm muscles stretch further. Warm muscles move faster too. A warm-up takes just a few minutes.
Raising your pulse
Start slow. March on the spot. Then jog gently. Then try a few star jumps. This is called a PULSE RAISER. It makes your heart speed up bit by bit, not all at once.
Stretching safely
Stretch only after your pulse is already up. Never stretch first. Never bounce in a stretch. Hold each stretch still. Count five seconds, then let go.
A cold muscle is like a cold rubber band. Pull it hard and fast and it can snap. A warm muscle is like a warm rubber band. It bends and stretches instead. Running fast on cold muscles is like yanking that cold band. A few minutes of warming up changes a stiff muscle into a bendy one. That small bit of time is why the warm-up matters.
A simple routine
Try this order each time. March for a minute. Jog for a minute. Do five slow star jumps. Then hold four gentle stretches. Five seconds each. Pulse first, then stretches. That order is what makes it work. Do it before every sport, not just the ones you find hard.