Stay in the game

Injury Prevention Stretches

Fencing hammers the lunge-leg hip flexor and the weapon-arm shoulder. This routine, 10 min warm-up before, 15 min cool-down after, is what keeps athletes available through a long season.

Warm-up, before

Dynamic, no static holds. 10 minutes total, in this order.

1

Dynamic lunges (walking)

2 × 10 each leg · Hip flexors · quads

2

Leg swings, front/back, side

15 each × 4 · Hip mobility

3

World's greatest stretch

5 each side · Full body

4

Ankle circles + calf pumps

20 each · Ankle · calf

5

Wrist circles + finger flex

20 each · Weapon arm

6

Arm circles, forward/back

15 each · Shoulder

Cool-down, after

Static holds. Breathe deeply. 15 minutes total.

1

Couch stretch (hip flexor)

2 × 30s each leg · Deep hip flexor, fencing #1 issue

2

Pigeon pose

90s each side · Glutes · hip rotators

3

Seated hamstring stretch

45s each · Hamstrings · back of lunge

4

Quad stretch (standing or wall)

45s each · Quads

5

Chest doorway stretch

45s each · Pecs · shoulder

6

Child's pose with reach

60s · Lower back · lats

7

Neck gentle rotations

5 each way · Neck (mask tension)

Red flags, see a doctor

Sharp / stabbing pain, not normal muscle fatigue
Swelling / discolouration on joints
Pain that wakes you at night
Loss of grip strength in weapon hand
Clicking knee/ankle with pain

Any of these: stop training, see a sports doctor or physiotherapist. Don\'t "train through" acute pain.