GOALS Warm Up Calendar

I. Introduction

Warm up exercises for kids are used to prepare their body to undertake further exercises

while at the same time, they help in preventing injuries to the muscles. Cool muscles are more

prone to injury than warm muscles. Stretching properly may reduce muscle injuries and improve

athletic performance. Stretching also provides increased flexibility, joint range and motion and

blood flow to muscles. Sports medicine experts consider dynamic stretching a better way to

reduce muscle tightness than traditional stretching. According to the journal article Acute

Effects Of Different Warm-ups Protocols On Fitness Performance In Children the study showed

that it may be desirable for children to perform moderate-to high-intensity dynamic exercises

prior to the performance of activities that require a high power output.

II. Warm Up Calendar

A. Monday
1. Backpedal jog: warms up the hip flexors and abs (2-

3 minutes)
a) Keep knees bent and jog backwards

with controlled strides

b) Bend elbows and chest forward
c) Suggested 5 repetitions
(1) First line of court, and

back. Then full court and back

2. Jumping jacks: boost your heart rate, and

oxygenates your blood and muscles (1 minute)

a) 20 jumping jacks
3. Walking Knees to Chest: stretches shoulders, lower

back, gluteals and hip flexors (3 minutes)

 a) Walk forward and push up the knees

to chest while pushing up on the toes on the leg you are standing

on
b) When knees reaches chest height

pull it in as far as you can

c) Walking Knee to Chest from half

court and back

4. Plank with shoulder taps: stretches shoulders and

triceps (2 minutes)
a) 20 shoulder taps
B. Tuesday
1. Grapevine: stretches the hips and calves. Also

improve flexibility in leg muscles (2-3 minutes)

a) Bend knees with the weight on the

balls of your feet

b) Sway hips and put one leg in front of

the other
c) Bring back leg through so it's level

with the front leg

d) Then cross front leg behind back leg
e) Across the court and back
(1) Students will need to

be faced sideways in order to do the exercise

2. Arm circles: stretches muscles surrounding the

shoulders
a) 20 arm circles clockwise and 20 arm

circles counterclockwise
3. Toe touches: warm up hamstrings and back muscles

(2 minute)
a) Standing with feet more than

shoulder-width apart
b) Extend the arms to the sides
 c) Bend at the hips and reach with one

hand for the opposite foot

d) Return to the upright position and

repeat on the other side

e) 20 toe touches
4. High Knees: strength and endurance in quads,

stretches hips, helps with more efficient running, increases heart rate (1-2

minutes)
a) Stand hip width apart
b) Drive your knee towards your chest

and back down

c) 20 high knees
C. Wednesday
1. Straight leg kick: warm up hamstrings and hips (2-3

minutes)
a) Walk kicking your leg forward and

up while keeping your knees straight

b) Reach towards the toes with opposite

hand extended
c) Repeat with opposite leg and arm
d) Half court and back
2. Wall sits: strengthen the quadriceps muscles (1

minute)
a) Two sets of wall sits for 30 seconds
3. Arm scissors: stretches upper back, shoulders and

upper arm muscles (1 minute)

a) Stand with the feet shoulder width

apart
b) Hold the arms straight out to the

sides
c) Swing the arms in front of the body

in a wide crisscrossing motion and back

 d) With every swing, alternate the top

arm.
e) Do 20 arm scissors
4. Seal jumping jacks: boost your heart rate, and

oxygenates your blood and muscles (1 minute)

a) Instead of clapping hands above the

head clap hands in front of the body

b) 20 seal jumping jacks
D. Thursday
1. Power skip plus reach: whole body stretch-

shoulders, abs, hips (2-3 minutes)

a) Skip as high by pushing off on one

leg
b) Raise knee of opposite knee to chest

(high knee)
c) Reach the arm opposite of your high

knee as high as you can

d) Across the court and back
2. Lunges: works the glutes and quadriceps and also

engage your hamstrings (1-2 minutes)

a) Half court and back
3. Plank: exercise the abdominal muscles (1 minute)
a) Two sets for 30 seconds
4. Push ups: engages your arms, shoulders, chest,

back, and abs (1-2)

a) 15 push ups
E. Friday
1. Jumping trunk twist: warms up legs, abdominal, and

arms (1-2 minutes)

a) Hop up and down on both legs while

rotating the lower and upper body in opposite directions.

b) Change direction with each hop.
c) 20 jumping trunk twist
 2. Squats: strengthen the quadriceps, hamstrings, and

calves (1-2 minutes)

a) 15 squats
3. Heel to Rear Jog (Butt Kicks): warm up quadriceps

and boost heart rate (2-3 minutes)

a) Jog while lifting heal as far up as you

can
b) Aim to hit you bottom without over

stretching
c) Across the court and back
4. Arm scissors: stretches upper back, shoulders and

upper arm muscles (1 minute)

a) Stand with the feet shoulder width

apart
b) Hold the arms straight out to the

sides
c) Swing the arms in front of the body

in a wide crisscrossing motion and back

d) With every swing, alternate the top

arm.
e) Do 20 arm scissors

References

Faigenbaum, A., Bellucci, M., Bernieri, A., Bakker, B. and Hoorens, K. (2005). Acute Effects of

Different Warm-up Protocols on Fitness Performance in Children. The Journal of Strength

and Conditioning Research, 19(2), p.376.

Kidshealth.org. (2017). Stretching. [online] Available at:

http://kidshealth.org/en/teens/stretching.html?WT.ac=t-ra# [Accessed 25 Apr. 2017].

NYRR. (2017). Middle School (5-8). [online] Available at: http://www.nyrr.org/youth-and-

schools/running-start/coaching-videos/middle-school [Accessed 25 Apr. 2017].