How to Stretch for Volleyball

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Volleyball is a high-intensity sport that uses your whole body. While arm and back warmups can be useful, most volleyball stretches should focus on your thighs and calves. You should also schedule moderate, regular exercise between games to keep yourself in peak condition.

Part 1
Part 1 of 2:

Stretching Before a Game

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  1. Dynamic stretching involves active movement, warming up your muscles for exercise. Avoid static stretches (holding a stretch) before exercise, as this does not prepare your body and may even decrease athletic performance. [1] The rest of this section describes various dynamic stretches that are useful for volleyball players. You may go through all of them, or pick and choose the ones that seem to help most. [2]
  2. A few minutes of light to moderate exercise will warm up your muscles. Maintain a moderate pace, but don't push yourself to the point of gasping or exhaustion. [3]
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  3. Practice some side steps . Next, get some lateral lunges in to warm up for side-to-side movements. Make sure to avoid overextending your thigh muscles, keeping your knee directly above your toes. [4]
  4. Stand up straight with your feet at hip-width apart. Jump from one foot to the other, lifting the other knee up to hip height. [5] This will improve your hip flexibility.
    • You're doing this as a warm-up, not an intense exercise. Stick to moderate speed.
  5. Return to a low-intensity jog. Every couple steps, bring one of your feet backward to touch against your backside. Alternate feet as you do this.
    • Don't push back with force. Make it a slight flick that brings your foot up for only a moment.
    • There is no need to bring your knee forward for this exercise. Keep your upper leg close to vertical.
  6. Jump forward about 1.5 meters (5 feet), or less if necessary for a comfortable landing. Try to land as quietly as possible, then stand slowly. Repeat this exercise five times. [6]
  7. By now your muscles should be well warmed up. Add some leg flexibility with some targeted dynamic stretches, such as the leg swing: [7]
    • Stand sideways to a wall and put your hand out against it for support.
    • Swing the leg closest to the wall forward and back as high as you can. Do not hold your leg in an upright position.
    • Turn around and put your other hand against the wall. Repeat with the other leg.
  8. If your back is sore or tight, address that with a targeted exercise. [8] Here's one option:
    • Lie flat on the ground with your arms straight out, in a T shape.
    • Swing your leg toward your opposite arm, keeping both shoulders on the ground.
    • Return that leg immediately to the ground.
    • Repeat the exercise with alternating legs.
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Part 2
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Stretching After a Game

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  1. Static stretches hold one of your muscles in an extended position. These exercises improve your flexibility and help your recovery after exercise. Read on for examples of these stretches, starting at the lower muscles and moving up. [9]
  2. Places your toes against a wall and your heel on the floor next to it, with your foot in a straight line. Push your heel down and lean toward the wall with that leg, with your other leg behind you for balance. [10]
  3. . [11] Sit down and place your left foot against your right knee. Lower your left knee to the ground, or as close to it as you can with moderate stretching. Reach for your right foot with your right hand and hold it for a few seconds. Repeat with your other foot.
  4. Sit up straight with your legs outstretched. Bend one leg at the knee while keeping it flat, bringing that foot to the side of your body. Lean back to stretch the quad on that side. Repeat for your other leg. [12]
  5. Volleyball usually puts the most use on the thighs and calves. Try this exercise to stretch them out after a game:
    • Stand up straight with your feet wide apart.
    • Bend over and touch your right hand to your right foot. Hold for 20-30 seconds.
    • Repeat 10–20 times, alternating feet.
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Volleyball is an incredibly fun sport, and it's great exercise too. But there are some essential skills you need to master in order to become an effective player. Learn them all with this expert series!
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  • Question
    What stretches to do before playing volleyball?
    Monica Morris
    ACE Certified Personal Trainer
    Monica Morris is an ACE (American Council on Exercise) Certified Personal Trainer based in the San Francisco Bay Area. With over 15 years of fitness training experience, Monica started her own physical training practice and gained her ACE Certification in 2017. Her workouts emphasize proper warm-ups, cool-downs, and stretching techniques.
    Monica Morris
    ACE Certified Personal Trainer
    Expert Answer
    I would recommend one that is called "the best stretch in the world", although that name is up to debate. Put the left forward and the right one to the back, both at a 90° position, lean in and do what we call "to thread the needle". To do that, rest the left hand on the left knee and rotate the right arm so that it's extended straight, reaching up towards the ceiling. And then it threads itself through the left, between the left calf and hamstring. It's a spine rotation, a lat extension, and a shoulder warm up all in one stretch.
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  • Question
    What type of game are stretches?
    Lillian
    Community Answer
    It’s not a game, but rather a span of time that you need to warm up your muscles before getting into the sport that you’re going to play.
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  • Question
    Is it fine if you do the after game stretches before the game?
    Lillian
    Community Answer
    No, there are certain types of stretches to do pre-warm-up then what you would do when you’re trying to cool down.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://www.bu.edu/articles/2015/stretch-before-exercise-not-so-fast
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nPHfEnZD1Wk
      3. ↑ https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/how-to-warm-up-before-exercising/
      4. ↑ https://www.coachmag.co.uk/bodyweight-exercises/6431/how-to-do-the-side-lunge
      5. ↑ http://homegym-exercises.com/high_knees_in_place.html
      6. ↑ https://www.active.com/fitness/articles/4-exercises-to-help-you-jump-higher
      7. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naW8u72lOzI
      8. ↑ https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/adult-health/multimedia/back-pain/sls-20076265
      9. ↑ https://www.hss.edu/conditions_dynamic-static-stretching.asp
      1. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RByH6Nd2jF0
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N_C_SnaUc7M
      3. ↑ https://www.strength-and-power-for-volleyball.com/volleyball-static-flexibility.html
      4. https://www.active.com/volleyball/articles/10-muscle-groups-every-volleyball-player-must-stretch-878685

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