If there’s one thing that’s universal for all sports is that athletes want to get faster.
To that end, we compiled some training ideas to help your team get that extra bit of speed that could help you get over the hump and win your next game. (No guarantees about your players becoming Usain Bolt.)
Men’s Health magazine offers to take you to “speed school” with these exercises:
1. Arm Circles with Skip
As you skip, swing your arms in a forward circular motion as wide and as high as you can. After 30 seconds, swing backward.
2. Cross-Body Toe Touch
Every three steps, lift your leg as high as you can and swing your opposite arm to touch your elevated toes. Alternate sides each rep.
3. “A” Skip with Knee to Chest
Skip, but every three steps lift your knee toward your chest. Alternate sides. This pushes you onto the balls of your feet.
And then when you are actually running, here are some ideas from Runner’s World magazine:
4. Warm up. The harder you run, the more vital it is to warm up your muscles. Walk and easy run for five to 10 minutes and include dynamic exercises or drills like high knees, butt kickers, and skipping to further prepare your body to run fast.
5. Focus on posture and core. Keep your torso upright, shoulders relaxed and away from your ears, and engage your core (don’t collapse). Unleash your Superman pose.
6. Run with a circular motion. Think like a cyclist and run with a circular motion with your feet, your thighs parallel to the round, and your knees driving in an up and down motion (rather than an ovular or reaching-out motion).
7. Land efficiently. Land on your forefoot and focus on pushing off from your toes to propel yourself forward, keeping your feet flexed upward toward your shins.
And lastly, here are some ideas, from the man himself, Usain Bolt, who shared them with Shape magazine:
8. Never underestimate the power of just showing up for your workout. “I’ve had a couple of bad seasons, but I’ve always come back and shown up,” says Bolt. “I need to put in a lot more work, so the program’s really been stepped up this season. All I have to do is continue on the same path, get a few races in, and I should be okay.”
9. Even the pros get hurt. After injuring his foot, Bolt’s more in tune with his body. “If I feel pain, I make sure I check it out.”
10. Before an important sprint, the key is staying cool under pressure. “I try to be myself, just be relaxed, and a fun person,” says Bold. “I try to find somebody who I know, try to talk and laugh and just relax and not think about anything else. And it gives me a different energy to go out and compete.”