Injuries to the throwing arm in baseball are an all-to-common occurrence. There are so many ways in which the arm can be compromised and that’s why it’s crucial that pitchers warm up before pitching.
Here’s how you can warm up the throwing arm effectively:
- Get loose
Your arm tends to work better when the whole body is loose. You could warm up your midsection and make sure you’re working up a sweat by jogging to let the muscles become loose. Using a massage stick or a foam roller makes it easier to stretch your arm before pitching.
Hit each spot around the arm for around 30 to 60 seconds, with an emphasis of 10 seconds on the tender spots.
- Warming up the arm
Now is the time to activate the muscles in the arm and this can be done with hitting all the movement and muscle patterns. These patterns can decelerate and accelerate the arm, primarily the rotator cuff and scapula muscles.
Once these muscles are activated, the body will be prepared for the activities. Resistance tubing is one good way to do it too. You have to also ensure the arm isn’t fatigued, but prepared.
- Dynamic movements
The final step is to get more dynamic movements into the arm. You can use a resistor band to help you get the hip movements and the arm in sync. Once you’re able to get the rhythm in (typically after a minute or two), you can practice by pitching.
These three exercises are an excellent way to warm up the muscles and get you ready to throw.