Triathlon Training
All Sports Loosening-Up Routine
This routine can be the first phase of your warm-up for any sport. It
is especially important if you are older or spend most of your day being
inactive. The goal of this routine is to gently oosen the ligaments and
tendons around your main joint systems. This is based on a standard Tai
Chi loosening-up routine.
Do each of these 10 times in each direction. Breathing slowly and deeply
through your nose, begin each exercise with very small circles and very
slow movements.
Ankle Circles - One at a time, keep your toe on ground in back
of your body.
Knee Circles - Put your hands on your knees and move both together
in small circles
Hip Circles - One leg at a time, leaving your foot flat on the
ground, rotate your upper thigh in your hip socket by moving your
knee in a circle, focused on allowing your upper leg to move around
in your hip socket. Once you get the hang of it, you can do both legs
at once, in opposite directions
Pelvic Circles - Hands on hips, circle in both directions.
Spine Rolls - Bend over with a straight back (bend your arms and
hold the opposite elbow with your hand to reisist the urge to touch
the floor - we are not stretching our legs here). Now relax your back
and hang your elbows towards the floor, and finally roll your torso
back to the erect position, one vertebra at a time.
Upper Spine Circles - Hold hips and ribs steady, hands on head,
rotate your upper core in small circles.
Head Circles: On this one be sure to begin by making the smallest,
smoothest circle possible. Slowly increase the size of the circles.
Arm Swing: With one leg behind the other, rotate around your spine,
allowing your arms to swing and gently tap you in the back as you
complete your rotation to both sides.
When all of these individual movements all become comfortable, switch
to a more challenging and complete routine like the one illustrated
below:
