Players often concentrate on stretching the standard muscles before a game - hamstrings, quads and calves - while neglecting the hips.
Failure to engage the hips during the warm up can have an adverse effect on a player's performance and increase their risk of injury, according to Wolverhampton Wanderers’ head of first team performance, Tony Daley.
The former Aston Villa player explained to FFT the role the hips play in powering football specific movements.
“Having good flexibility in your hips is great for not only getting great power on the ball, but also helping your technique especially when going for those spectacular volleys,” Daley told FFT.
“By lifting our legs up as we run – in a high motion – it increases the range that we’re exerting our muscles to prepare ourselves for doing things like striking a football, or running at great pace.”
In the above video, Daley runs us through some of his tried and tested hip exercises…
Wash & Go has teamed up with Tony Daley to produce fitness tips. For more information visit www.pg.com
Also see:
Warm up essentials: Fire up your glutes – part one
Warm up essentials: Fire up your glutes – part two
Warm up essentials: Fire up your glutes – part three
Warm up essentials: Jogging
Warm up essentials: Skipping
Warm up essentials: Balance and co-ordination
Warm up essentials: Explosive movements
Warm up essentials: Change of direction
Warm up essentials: Speed, agility, quickness
