Do you feel sore, tight, and aches after playing soccer? Often we play 90 minutes of soccer, pack our bags from the bench and immediately leave. Sitting for long durations after games can be uncomfortable especially if you have a long drive home. Cooling down after a game is important to allow your body to relax, kicking your parasympathetic nervous system.
Perform this cool down after your game or intense training session. You will need a firm ball to do the myofascial release (such as a lacrosse ball, tennis ball, baseball, golf ball etc.) The harder the ball, the more intense the release will be.
Ensure you drink plenty of water before and after games, and recover with adequate sleep and proper nutrition.
Note: Superset stretches should be performed back to back. Remember to not hold your breath while performing the stretches.
Cool down:
Foot myofascial release 1-2 min per foot
Calf myofascial release 1-2 min per foot
Calf walkout (2 sets x10)
Plantar fascia stretch (45 seconds x 2 sets) + Tibialis anterior stretch (45 seconds x 2 sets) - Superset
Elephant walks (2 sets x10 reps each leg) + Couch stretch (2 sets x 30 seconds)
90/90 rotations (2 sets x 10)
Frog stretch + rocks - frog stretch (2 x 30 seconds) + frog rocks (2x10)
Open lunge rotation (2 x 30 seconds per side)
Open book stretch (2x 30 seconds) each side
If you have any questions, feel free to reach out!
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Email: sundeep.rakhra@gmail.com