Health Encyclopedia
Soccer Injury Prevention Tips
In soccer, getting a good warm-up is critical to prevent injuries. Below are examples of ways to warm up before soccer practice or a game.
- Jog two laps around the field.
- Complete a functional warm up. Skip down the field for 20 yards, take a 15 second break, then skip 20 yards back to your starting position. Complete the exercises below in the same manner:
- High knees
- Butt kicks
- Long forward lunges
- Side lunges- Complete four or five accelerating runs. Begin running and speed up to 75 percent of your top speed for 40 yards. Then ease down during the last 10 yards. This completes the functional warm up.
- With a partner, kick the ball with easy passes while slowly increasing the length of the passes through long kicks.
- Make sure to drink plenty of fluid – either water or sports drinks – before practice or a game. It is difficult to drink during a game, so make sure to drink plenty the day before as well as rehydrating after.
- Do a modified warm up (about half of what you did for the pre-game warm up) before taking the field for the second half.
- Stretch after practice or a game to limit soreness, decrease recovery time and increase range of motion.
- Apply ice to any sore areas for 15-20 minutes after practice or a game.
Training and Injury Avoidance
Download these tip sheets to learn more Functional Strength Training:
- Starting Functional Strength Training
- Balance Exercises
- Body Weight Exercises
- Core Training Exercises
- Jump Training / Plyometrics
- Starting a Conditioning Program
- Starting a Flexibility Program
- About Shin Splints
- About Plantar Faciitis
- Foot and Leg Exercises
