Football Stretches and Warm-Up Exercises: A Complete Guid

One of the most important rituals in football for players is your stretching routine. Every team goes through a series of stretches before practices and games. Running onto the field without limbering up can be a shock to your system. While there isn’t overwhelming evidence that supports stretching as a factor in improving performance, studies say it’s beneficial for sports that require flexibility. Dynamic stretching may be beneficial for sports that require vertical movements and running, like basketball and running. Below is a guide to some common football stretches. Remember to consult with your physician before starting an exercise program.

Static vs. Dynamic Stretches

It’s important to understand the main types of stretches: static and dynamic. Dynamic stretches are typically used for warm-up purposes while static stretches are often used after physical activity.

• Static Stretch: A static stretch is when you hold a position for a period to help increase your flexibility. For instance, grabbing your right foot at your ankle and pulling your leg to your bottom for 30 seconds is a common quadriceps stretch that’s static. Static stretches are performed when you’re stationary. 

• Dynamic Stretch: Dynamic stretches involve a full range of motion where you contract and release your muscles to help improve flexibility and increase blood flow to your muscles. In short, they help make you feel “warm.” A torso twist, where you stand with your elbows on your hips and twist from side to side while planted to the ground, is a dynamic stretch. 

Static stretches aren’t recommended as pre-activity warm-up. Studies have shown that static stretching can reduce your muscle strength and negatively impact your performance. Dynamic stretching doesn’t reduce your muscle strength, and there’s evidence suggesting it can increase your performance. Static stretching is beneficial for a post-game workout to help decrease muscle soreness and increase your range of motion. 

Full-Body Dynamic Stretching Routine

Stretching before a football game is choreographed and practiced for most teams. They have every minute accounted for from the time they enter the stadium and head to the locker room until the first whistle. Below is a dynamic stretching routine you can use with your team with explanations for 10 dynamic exercises that can be used before a game or practice.

• Walking Knee Lunges: Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart. With your back straight, your chin up, your eyes looking straight ahead, and your core engaged, lift your right leg up, keeping the bottom of your thigh parallel to the floor while stepping forward and touching your left knee to the floor. Your right foot and left knee should hit the ground simultaneously. This exercise warms up your lower body, particularly your calves. 

• Dynamic Lunge with Rotation: Do a lunge but rotate your torso to one side after you’ve planted your feet. This exercise helps loosen your hip flexors. 

• Inverted Hamstring Stretch: Straighten out your left leg and bend over, getting your torso and right leg as close to parallel to the ground as possible. Your left leg should be slightly bent. This exercise activates your glutes muscles and stretches out your hamstrings. 

• Hip Rotations: Standing straight up with your legs hip-length apart, move from side to side, twisting your torso. You can leave your hands on your hips for a more controlled exercise or have them at your sides. This helps loosen up your hips, abdominal muscles, and shoulders. 

• Lateral Lunges: With your feet spread shoulder-width apart, step to the side with your right leg, stretching as far as possible, and then squat, keeping your right leg as straight as possible. Your weight should mostly be in your glutes. This exercise helps stretch your groin muscles and glutes while preparing you for side-to-side movement.  

• Backward Skips: Shuffle backwards and rotate, lifting each leg as high as possible, trying to hit your bottom while swinging your arms. This exercise helps warm up your hamstrings and prepares players for backward shuffling during a game. 

• Inchworm: Start in a standing position with your knees slightly bent and your chin at your chest and stretch your hands down to your feet while keeping your legs straight. Touch your feet if possible. Once your hands are down, place them on the floor in front of you and walk out with your hands until your body’s parallel to the floor. This is a full-body stretch that targets your shoulders, abdominal muscles, and the backs of your legs. 

• A-Runs: With your legs shoulder-width apart, bend at your hips while keeping your back straight and shuffle your feet in place. This exercise helps prepare you for running during a game. 

• Backward Lunge Reach & Twist: While doing a lunge stepping backward, reach up with both arms while twisting your torso past your legs. You should be looking forward and keeping your back straight during this exercise. This move stretches your back and legs. 

• Frankenstein Walk: With both arms stretched out at shoulder level, kick your leg straight out toward your opposite hand, trying to touch it if you can. Don’t overstretch with your kicks. This helps with lower body mobility.

Below is a pregame dynamic stretching routine that can be done in around 15 minutes.

Position-Specific Stretches

Each football position involves different movements and uses of your muscles. Below are some specific dynamic exercises that can be done before practice or a game.

• Quarterback: Quarterbacks often start their stretching routine with a cross-body shoulder stretch. To do this exercise, put your right arm under your chin, stretching it out as far as possible. Grab the back of your right shoulder with your left hand and squeeze gently. Repeat with your arm. This helps warm up your shoulders and arms. 

• Running Backs & Wide Receivers: A one-leg balance exercise is helpful for skilled players. For this exercise, stand on your right leg while kicking your left leg back 90 degrees to the ground and hinging at the hips. Hold that position for 3 seconds. You can make it harder by touching the ground with your hands and with your leg out. This movement helps players keep their balance after they’ve been hit. 

• Defensive Backs & Linebackers: Slowly jogging across the length of the field and then backpedaling to your original position is a way to ease into the types of moves DBs and LBs must make during a game. 

• Linemen: For linemen, doing some body squats helps with the driving motion you’ll need when game time rolls around. Bend at your waist with your back straight and your elbows tucked into your side. Drop your butt until it’s parallel with the floor and push back up. 

Stretching is a standard part of football protocol at every level. Static stretching can be helpful after games. Some teams will have a short yoga session the morning after a game to help alleviate soreness. Once you learn the stretches, they can become a necessary routine that helps you prepare for practice and games.