Fremantle Swan Dragon Boat Club
費曼爾圖天鵝龍舟俱樂部
Warm up Routine
A warm-up should be dynamic (moving), not static (holding a stretch). Save static stretching for the cool-down.
By the end of this routine, your breathing should be heavier, and you should feel warm and slightly sweaty.
01
Torso Rotations with Arm Swings
Targets:
Thoracic spine, obliques, shoulders, lats, chest.
Action:
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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent. Extend your arms out to the sides at shoulder height.
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Begin to twist your torso from side to side, allowing your arms to swing with your body. As you twist to one side, look behind you in that direction, allowing your core to engage and your spine to rotate. Keep your hips relatively stable but allow for some natural movement.
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Focus on a gentle, controlled rotation rather than forcing the twist.
Benefits:
This dynamic movement warms up the thoracic spine and obliques, crucial for paddle stroke rotation. It also mobilizes the shoulders and upper back, improving reach and preventing stiffness, getting your core ready for dragon boat paddling.
02
High Knees
Targets:
Hip flexors, quadriceps, glutes, cardiovascular system.
Action:
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Stand tall with feet hip-width apart.
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Begin to run in place, bringing your knees up towards your chest as high as possible.
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Keep your core engaged, pump your arms in sync with your legs, and land softly on the balls of your feet.
Benefits:
This dynamic exercise quickly elevates your heart rate, warms up the hip flexors (crucial for leg drive in paddling), quads, and glutes, and improves coordination, preparing your body for the intense effort of dragon boating.
03
Paddling Squats
Targets:
Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, hip flexors, core, shoulders, lats.
Action:
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Stand with feet hip-width apart, holding your paddle (or an imaginary paddle) in front of you.
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As you initiate a squat, simultaneously mimic the "catch" phase of a paddle stroke: hinge at your hips, send your glutes back as if sitting in a chair, and extend your (imaginary) paddle forward, leaning slightly over your front knee.
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As you drive down with the top hand and stand back up, imagine driving the paddle back, engaging your core and lats. Keep your chest up and spine long throughout the movement.
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As you stand back up, exhale forcefully as you would during the drive phase of the stroke.
Benefits:
This dynamic warm-up should be explosive and mimic both the catch and drive phases of the stroke. Focus on the acceleration to the standing position.
This exercise activates the legs, glutes, and core for power. It also mobilizes the hips and shoulders in a movement pattern highly specific to dragon boat paddling, preparing your body for the full stroke.
04
Shadow Boxing
Targets:
Shoulders, core, and obliques.
Action:
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Jabs: Simulates the Catch/Reach. Lead arm punches straight out, focusing on upper body extension. Focus on the snapping action of the bottom hand during the recovery phase of the stroke.
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Alternating Uppercuts: Throw a short, sharp uppercut with one arm, driven by lifting on the same-side heel and twisting the torso. Alternate.
Benefits:
Dynamic movement, core rotation, and shoulder activation, mimicing the full-body movement of a paddle stroke.
05
Medicine Ball Slam
Targets:
Core, shoulders, triceps, lats, glutes, hamstrings, quads.
Action:
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Stand with feet shoulder-width apart, holding an imaginary medicine ball with both hands.
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Inhale and powerfully lift the ball overhead, fully extending your body.
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Exhale sharply as you drive your arms down from the elbows as if to slam the ball down to the ground directly in front of you, bending at your hips and knees to generate force.
Benefits:
This explosive movement is excellent for a full-body dynamic warm-up. It activates the core, shoulders, and back muscles vital for paddling, while also engaging the glutes and hamstrings for powerful leg drive. It's a great way to generate heat and prepare the body for intense effort.
06
Squat
Targets:
Quadriceps, hamstrings, glutes, core, cardiovascular system.
Action:
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Stand with your feet shoulder-width apart, toes pointing slightly out. Keep your chest up and spine neutral.
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Initiate the movement by hinging at your hips and bending your knees, as if sitting back into a chair. Lower your hips until your thighs are parallel to the ground (or as deep as comfortable while maintaining good form).
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Keep your knees tracking over your toes. Push through your heels to return to the starting position. You can extend your arms forward for balance.
Benefits:
The squat is a foundational exercise that warms up and strengthens the glutes, quadriceps, and hamstrings, all critical for the powerful leg drive required in dragon boat paddling. It also improves hip mobility and core stability.