Stretching Tips for Marching Band and Color Guard Athletes
- Try to spend an extra 10-15 minutes stretching on your own before group warm-ups. Different instruments or sections use the body in different ways, so your warm-up needs to be different.
- The kind of stretching you might do will change depending on the day and how your body feels.
- Make sure to stretch both sides of the body (if applicable), even if only one side is feeling sore.
- Don’t forget to stretch after practice to help with your recovery.
Example Stretches
|
Lower Body |
Torso/Back |
Upper Body |
|
Hamstring Stretch 2 sets of 30 seconds |
Thread the Needle* 2 sets of 10-12 on each side |
Crossbody Stretch 2 sets of 30 seconds |
|
Standing or Kneeling Quadriceps Stretch 2 sets of 30 seconds |
Open Books* 2 sets of 10 on each side |
Arm Circles 10 Clockwise, 10 Counterclockwise |
|
Calf Stretch (Standing, Bleachers, or Wall) 2 sets of 30 seconds |
Child’s Pose 2 sets of 30 seconds |
Forearm Flexion/Extension Stretch 2 sets of 30 seconds |
|
Kneeling Hip Flexor Stretch 2 sets of 30 seconds |
Cat/Cows 15 total |
Overhead Triceps Stretch 2 sets of 30 seconds |
*Examples of Thread the Needle and Open Books are shown below.
Thread The Needle
- Begin on your hands and knees with one arm extended toward the ceiling as shown.
- Slowly rotate down, reaching your straight arm through the hole between your other thigh and arm.
- Rotate your torso and reach as far through as possible, pause and return to the starting position.
Open Books
- Lay on side with knees bent at 90 degrees and together, arms in front and together as shown.
- Keeping knees down and together, open up the top arm/hand across body until both shoulder blades touch the ground.
- Continue rotation of backside arm into the air. Once the backside arm is vertical, punch the shoulder off the ground.
- Relax the shoulder and then slowly reverse the movement.
Consult your primary care physician for more serious injuries that do not respond to basic first aid. As an added resource, the staff at Nationwide Children’s Hospital Sports Medicine is available to diagnose and treat sports-related injuries for youth or adolescent athletes. Services are available in multiple locations. To make an appointment, call (614) 355-6000 or schedule an appointment online.
