The neck stretch:
Looking directly ahead of you put one hand across your head, placing your hand on the opposite side of your face. Use your hand to pull your head gently down towards your shoulder. When you feel a stretch, hold. Repeat to the other side.
The Hip flexor stretch (standing):
From the standing position, take a step forward with your left leg while keeping the right leg straight. Now bend the knee of the left leg until you feel a stretch in the front area of the right hip. Make sure the left foot is beneath the left knee or slightly in front of it. Hold. Repeat with the other side.
Groin stretch:
Sit on the floor with the soles of your feet together. While holding your toes, lean your upper body forward, bending from the hips. If you do not feel a stretch in the groin, try to keep your knees further down towards the floor and bring your heels closer to your seat. Hold. To isolate one side of the groin more than the other, push one knee downwards with your hand while you lean forward.
Hamstring stretch:
Place right leg flat on the bench while the left leg stays put on the floor. Keep the left knee straight during the stretch. Reach to touch your toes. Repeat with the other leg.
Quadriceps Stretch:
Stand with your left hand holding onto something stable for balance. Using your right hand, grab onto your right foot and pull your heel in towards your back. Keep your knees close during this stretch. If you do not feel a stretch in the front of the right hip and thigh, pull your right knee further back behind the left knee. Hold. Repeat with the left side.
Calf Muscle Stretch:
Stand a few feet from a wall and put both your hands on it at shoulder level. Step back with your right leg, keeping it straight, while the left knee bends. With both heels on the floor, lean forward by bending your left knee until you feel a stretch in your calf. Hold. Repeat with the other leg.
Triceps Stretch:
With your arms overhead, use your left hand to pull the right elbow behind your head. You should feel the stretch in your right triceps. Hold. Repeat with the left arm.
Wrist Stretch:
Keeping your right elbow straight, use your left hand to bend your right wrist backwards as far as you can until you feel a stretch in your wrist/forearm. Hold. Repeat with the other side. Then, bend your right wrist in the opposite direction until you feel a stretch. Hold. Repeat with the other wrist.
Foot Stretch:
While standing next to a wall for balance, lift the right leg and point the foot first away from the body. Hold. Then bend the foot backwards towards the body. Hold. Repeat with other foot.
All of these stretches are essential and should be performed before physical activity.
Sports specific practise:
Football: the position I play on my team (centre midfield) requires much skill of footwork and movement. Therefore the practise I will be doing will be centred around dribbling.
I am going to place small cones, 1.5m apart from one end of the hall to the other.
I will dribble between the cones, and upon reaching each end I will touch the top of the football then times, alternating feet.
I will repeat this up and down the cones 3 times.
I will record the time it takes me to do this.
Although the test is simple, it fits my needs of improving close contact ball skills and agility. I should over the course be able to steadily improve the time it takes me to do this.
