Coach's Guide: How to Warm Up for Ultimate Frisbee

Warming up before playing Ultimate Frisbee is important to prepare your body for the physical demands of the sport and reduce the risk of injuries.

We recently wrote about:

Coach’s Guide: Why We Need Warm-Ups & Cool-Downs in Ultimate Frisbee

Taking it further, coach and co-founder of the School of Ultimate, Samarth Shetty shares some detailed guidelines for an effective warm-up routine:

1. Start with Light Aerobic Exercise:

It’s important to begin your warm-up with light aerobic exercises as it increases your heart rate and improves blood flow to the muscles.

You can jog or briskly walk for 5-10 minutes or perform jumping jacks. The goal is to gradually raise your body temperature and warm up your muscles without overdoing it.

2. Dynamic Stretching:

Dynamic stretching involves moving through controlled, active movements that mimic the actions you’ll perform during an Ultimate Frisbee game. This helps improve flexibility, mobility and range of motion.

For major muscle groups, dynamic stretches such as arm swings, leg swings, lunges with rotation and trunk rotations work well, but it’s important to avoid holding static stretches during the warm-up phase, as they are more suitable for the cool-down.

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3. Joint Mobilisation:

Focus on mobilising your joints through gentle movements – perform exercises such as wrist circles, shoulder circles, hip circles, and ankle rotations.

This helps improve joint range of motion and lubrication, preparing them for the demands of Ultimate Frisbee.

4. Sport-Specific Drills:

We should always prepare ourselves based on the sport we’re to play – because sport-specific movements simulate the actions you’ll perform during the game.

For Ultimate Frisbee, include activities such as short sprints, lateral shuffles, quick direction changes and jumping exercises. This helps activate the muscles used in throwing, catching and running.

5. Agility & Coordination Exercises:

Incorporate drills that improve agility, coordination and reaction time.

Examples include ladder drills, cone drills and agility ladder footwork exercises. These activities prepare your body for the quick changes in direction and rapid movements required in Ultimate Frisbee.

5. Mental Preparation:

One of the most essential parts of preparing for a game is how you mentally prepare yourself. By visualising yourself successfully performing different skills, executing strategies and making quick decisions on the field helps you to focus on building confidence and maintaining a positive mindset.

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IMPORTANT, PLEASE NOTE: Remember that we all have different bodies, with varying challenges, and injury prone areas, which is why it is essential to tailor your warm-up routine based on your individual needs and any specific areas of concern.

Which is why you must allow sufficient time for the warm-up, typically around 10-15 minutes – even more, depending on the intensity and duration of your session and your own needs.

Please remember to stay hydrated throughout the warm-up and listen to your body, adjusting the intensity or modifying exercises as needed. By following a well-rounded warm-up routine, you can optimise your performance and reduce the risk of injuries in Ultimate Frisbee.

Up next is Coach’s Guide: How to Cool Down for Ultimate Frisbee

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