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I often get asked how long a pitcher should spend warming up. That’s a loaded question because it’s different for everyone, however; there are a few things that every pitcher should remember to ensure they warm up properly and stay healthy throughout the season. The first rule to follow is warm up to throw, don’t throw to warm up. Whatever your warm up routine consists of, make sure you work up a little of a sweat and increase your heart rate before you simply pick up a ball and throw. I always encourage my pitchers to start off with a light jog, high knees forward and backward, karaoke’s, jumping jacks, lunges forward and back, straight leg kicks, arm circles (thumbs up, thumbs down and straight), static stretching (about 10 stretches), band work (I like jaeger bands). When this is done a pitcher can feel comfortable picking up a ball and warming up. When pitchers actually follow a good warm up routine they are amazed at how good their first throws feel. It’s an unbelievable difference when you warm up properly. Another good thing to remember when you warm up is that you are warming up your entire body to throw the ball. You don’t just want to warm up your arm. Throwing a baseball is a feet to fingertip exercise. When you are throwing the ball correctly you are using your entire body to do it. Make it a habit to warm up to throw, don’t throw to warm up. |