A sport-specific warm-up gradually increases activity using movements that mirror the target sport — a rugby player would include lateral shuffles, explosive direction changes and contact; a swimmer would include shoulder rotations and dry-land paddle motions. Research shows sport-specific warm-ups improve subsequent performance more than generic aerobic warm-ups, through neural priming (activating specific motor patterns) and targeted joint/muscle preparation. The FIFA 11+ programme for football (soccer) is a well-validated sport-specific warm-up that reduces injury rates 30-50% in intervention studies.
Key points
- Movement patterns that mirror target sport
- Better performance priming than generic warm-up
- Neural priming activates specific motor patterns
- FIFA 11+ reduces football injuries 30-50% (validated)