Health and Wellness


area. In some sports, elite athletes spend 30 minutes or more warm- ing up with dynamic exercises. With Team USA, we start out with 20-30


Safe Dynamic Stretches


jumping jacks because it’s a full- body exercise. Then we’ll go right into 10-20 squats (without weights), followed by 10-15 lunges on each leg. We’ll also do arm and leg swings.


These stretches can be performed safely if the bowler has taken the time to get warmed up through a light jog or other light physical activ- ity — jumping jacks, elliptical, stair climber, etc.


WALKING TOE TOUCHES Kick leg for- ward has high as possible


without causing pain: looks like a toy soldier.


WALKING LUNGES WITH TRUNK ROTATIONS Forward lunges. In the down position rotate body to the left and right


IRON CROSSES Lying on back with arms out from the body, lift right leg up and rotate over towards left hand. Try to get foot as close to hand without raising the shoulders of the floor. Repeat with other leg.


SCORPIONS Similar to Iron Crosses except lying on


FITNESS, HEALTH AND NUTRITION TIPS TO MAKE YOU A BETTER BOWLER


Obviously, the average league


bowler, or more competitive bowl- ers, may not have the time or desire to work out so vigorously before they bowl. But even a 10-minute dynamic warm up will help in many


stomach. Lift leg up and rotate back toward oppo- site hand.


WINDMILLS


Arms extended out to the side while standing straight (wing span) and legs slightly spread apart, bend over at waist and then rotate trunk,


taking right hand to left foot then left hand to right foot.


CHAIN BREAKERS


Arms extended out to the side while stand- ing straight (wing span). Bring arms across body and then back out.


ARM CIRCLES


Arms extended out to the side while standing straight (wing span). Start small and increase in size. Do forward and backward.


COGMAN’S PENDULUM Let arm hang. Use body weight to create circular, back-and-forth and side-to-side motions.


ways. The key, however, is that the warm up should lead directly into the activity. In other words, perform- ing the warm up at home or in a hotel room (if you’re at a tourna- ment) is a waste of energy. The temperature of the muscles starts to cool down almost immediately, so you would lose the benefit of warm- ing up.


So, before you take that first practice throw, start with 10-20 jumping jacks. Then try a few lung- es on each leg, followed by a few squats. For your upper body, try arm swings — fanning your arms back and forth, and also in full circles, forward and backward, small and big. Your warm up doesn’t need to be too long, but it should be long enough to make you sweat just a bit and increase your respiration rate. Self-conscious about standing in a crowed bowling center doing jumping jacks? Consider this: While other bowlers are spending the first 10 minutes of their 15-minute prac- tice time getting loose, the warmed- up bowler can concentrate on get- ting lined up right out of the gate!


— Nick Bohanan is United States Bowling Congress Sports Perfor- mance Specialist.


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