Static stretching cold doesn’t help. Dynamic movement (moving while stretching) wakes the muscles up and prevents injury. Five exercises in a circuit gets the body ready for baseball without taking much time.
What you need: Open space, 30 yards long.
Setup: Set two cones 30 yards apart. Kids start at one cone.
How to run it:
- High knees (30 yards): bring the knee up to belt height with each step. Walk back to the start.
- Butt kicks (30 yards): heel comes up to touch the rear with each step. Walk back.
- Side shuffles (30 yards each direction): shuffle facing the same direction one way, then the other.
- Walking lunges (30 yards): step into a deep lunge each step.
- Arm swings (in place, 20 reps): big circles forward, then backward, then crosses.
What to watch: Are they actually doing the movements or shuffling through? High knees should be HIGH. Butt kicks should hit the rear. Half-effort warm-ups don’t do their job.
If they’re struggling: Cut the distance to 15 yards. Or do 3 of the 5 exercises.
If they’ve got it: Add a power skip or a carioca step (legs crossing in front and behind while moving sideways) for extra athleticism.