Guidelines for Implementing a Dynamic Warm-up for Physical

t is important for all students to warm up before participating in the m
ain activities
of a physical education class. A general warm-up of low-intensity aerobi
c activity
such as walking or jogging, followed by static stretching, is typically
used to prepare
students' cardiovascular and musculoskeletal systems for more vigorou
s physical
activity (Martens, 2004; Virgilio, 1997). Since this type of warm-up can increase blood
fl ow to active muscles, raise body temperature, and improve range of motio
n within the
joints, it is widely believed that children and adolescents who engage i
n it will enhance
physical performance and reduce the risk of muscular injury (Holcomb, 2000; Martens,
2004). The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASP
E) recognizes
the importance of a general warm-up, and recommends fi ve to ten minutes of a cardio-
vascular warm-up activity followed by static stretching (NASPE, 2005).

While fl exibility is a well-recognized component of health-related fi tness (NASPE,
2005), long-held beliefs regarding the routine practice of pre-event st
atic stretching have
been questioned (Knudsen, 1999; Schier, 2004; Thacker, Gilchrist, Stroup, & Kimsey,
2004). Several studies on adults have indicated that an acute bout of s
tatic stretching
can have a negative infl uence on strength and power performance (Cornwell, Nelson,
Heise, & Sidaway, 2001; Kokkonen, Nelson, & Cornwell, 1998; Young & Elliot, 2001).
In addition, it now appears that static stretching immediately before ex
ercise has no
signifi cant effect on injury prevention (Shrier, 2005; Thacker et al.).
Similar effects of static stretching on anaerobic performance have recen
tly been
observed in children. For example, Faigenbaum, Bellucci, Bernieri, Bakker, and Hoo-
rens (2005) reported a signifi cant decrease in jumping performance and sprint speed
in children following an acute bout of static stretching. McNeal and San
ds (2003) and
Siatras, Papadopoulos, Mameletzi, Gerodimos, and Kellis (2003) also ob
served that
static stretching had a negative effect on explosive force and speed development in
boys and girls. In support of these observations, Faigenbaum et al (2006) reported that
pre-event static stretching followed by dynamic exercise was more benefi cial than static
stretching alone in teenage athletes who performed power activities. Col
lectively, these
fi ndings suggest that warm-up protocols that include only static stretchin
g may have
unintended adverse consequences on anaerobic performance in children. In
deed, the
President's Council for Physical Fitness and Sports reported that static stretchin
g might
compromise performance (Knudson, 2000).
Since the current practice of pre-event static stretching has been based
more on intu-
ition than scientifi c evidence, teachers, coaches, and researchers have become interested
Guidelines for Implementing