Jog before you sprint to avoid injury

Here is a series of warm-up and skipping exercises for all sports that will help you prepare your body for the training session or game.

Ideally you should warm-up for around 20-30 minutes.

For a normal training session 10 minutes should be fine.

1. Straight ahead jogging for 15 seconds (s).

2. Shoulders forward. Straight ahead skip with your arms moving around and forward from the shoulders for 30 secs.

3. Shoulders back. Straight ahead skip - arms moving around and backwards from the shoulders 30 secs.

4. High Knees. Straight ahead jogging - on the coach's command the players perform knees-up on the spot - Knees 90 degrees, arms pumping at the side. 15 seconds Repeat 4 times.

5. Torso Twists. Straight ahead jogging - on the coach's command the players perform torso twists on the spot - Arms loose moving side to side with the rhythm. 15 seconds Repeat 4 times.

6. Butt Kicks. Straight ahead jogging - on the coach's command the players perform butt kicks while running.

Make sure you do some stretches after your warm up routine to make sure your body is ready for the speed workout Mike Antoniades, speed coach

Ankles touching the butt, arms pumping at the side. 15 seconds Repeat 4 times.

7. Wide Butt Kicks: Straight ahead jogging - on the coach's command the players perform wide-butt kicks while running.

Ankles moving wide of the butt, arms pumping at the side. 15 seconds Repeat 4 times.

8. Backwards jog & skip. On the coach's command the players run backwards the way they are facing turning their heads to see where they are going.

On a second command they skip backwards for 20-30 metres. Then on a third command they turn and jog forward. Repeat 4 times.

9. Hurdler skips. Straight ahead Jogging. Alternate trailing leg over imaginary hurdle. Repeat five times each side.

10. Knee Cross overs. Sideways running. Knee comes up and across 3 on the left and 3 on the right repeat set 5 times.

11. Knee across the body. Straight ahead skipping, alternatively the right knee comes across the body then lands and then the left knee comes across and then lands. 20 seconds.

12. Sideways running. First the right leg goes in front and behind the left leg while moving along and then the left leg. Coach should demonstrate.20 seconds repeat twice.

13. Fast Feet. Quick short side steps without lifting the knees. Forward for 10 seconds also Left then right 10 seconds, repeat twice.

14. Ankle Skip. Skip from the balls of your feet with legs straight. 20 metres and repeat twice.