Warm up exercises for baseball pitchers are primarily done to prevent shoulder or arm injuries during a game. Pitchers throw balls with such power and velocity that they can seriously harm the body if warm up exercises are not carried out.
Warm Up Exercises for Baseball Pitchers
Because of the ball speed and power that pitchers can produce during a game, it is critical that warm up exercises for baseball pitchers are completed.
Pitchers especially are prone to injuries when throwing balls. The rotator cuff muscles are directly responsible for keeping the shoulder stabilized and strong. This muscle group in particular should be warmed up and exercised every single time a baseball pitcher picks up a ball with the intention of throwing hard or fast.
Stretching
Yes, stretching is an exercise that should be done before any strenuous activity, especially an intense sport like baseball. It will help loosen and lengthen arm and shoulder muscles that will be throwing incredibly fast balls during a game.
Focus on the neck, shoulders, arms, elbows, and wrists to start with. After 5 to 10 minutes of stretching the upper body, initiate stretching of the core and lower body muscles. This will help stimulate blood flow.
Cardio To Wake Up The Body
A short, gentle jog around the field or a few minutes of running in place stimulates and energizes blood flow in the body. This blood flow stimulation will enable a player to tap into explosive bursts of power and speed when needed during a game.
An alternative would be to jog around the field, however when 1st base is reached, kick up the speed and sprint to 2nd base. Once 2nd base is reached, jog gently to 3rd base. When passing 3rd base, again push the body and quickly sprint to home.
Baseball pitchers will see an increase in energy and alertness with either of these two exercise alternatives.
Arm Circles
Arm circle warm ups are crucial for a pitcher to maintain rotator cuff muscle strength. A group of four distinct muscles, the rotator cuff muscles help stabilize the shoulder and prevent injuries common to baseball pitchers.
For this warm up, the player must stand erect with arms extended out from the shoulders parallel to the floor or ground. Slowly rotate arms in small circles and gradually build up to large circles. After approximately 20 circles, reverse the direction of the circles and complete another 20. This warm up should be completed with slow controlled movements to loosen up the rotator cuff muscle group to prepare the shoulder for strenuous throwing.
Soft Catch
Ask a fellow player to go through a soft catch session before the game.
Stand approximately 20 feet apart and lob the ball back and forth. This is not the time to throw hard or fast balls, this is simply a soft toss between 2 players for a warm up. Every 5 tosses, take a step back until the ball is being tossed at a good range.
While this is a great warm up exercise before a game, ensure this exercise does not go on too long. The player needs to warm up the arm and shoulder, not tire them out.
More Baseball Warm Ups
While the warm up exercises for baseball pitchers above are great warm ups before a game, there are many other warm up exercises that pitchers can utilize in their training.
Any exercise that stretches and rotates a specific muscle group by using sustained and controlled movement is an excellent choice for warming up before a game.
Cardio exercises like jumping jacks and toe touches help pump blood throughout the body and energize the brain.
No matter which warm up exercise regimen a player completes, the important thing is that it gets done to prevent serious injury.
References
Insider Reports - Baseball Pitcher Warm Up and Stretching: https://www.insiderreports.com/storypage.asp?StoryID=20013895
E How - Baseball Warm Up Exercises: https://www.ehow.com/way _5163368_baseball-warmup-exercises.html
