Warm-ups and Fundamental Movement Skills

Fundamental movement skills development is vital to make sure that correct movement patterns are learnt and mastered in a safe and relaxed environment to ensure optimum and safe performance of complex movement patterns at a later stage. Defined as “the basic abilities and skills of a child to perform an organized series of basic movements that involve various body parts” by Basman(2019), fundamental movement skills should typically be the focus of any physical development program for young children to develop their motor skills. More specifically fundamental movement skills should be focussed on from ages 2-11, however they should not be forgotten about after these ages and should be present throughout one’s training life in order to develop as an athlete as inefficient movement is not only less optimum for high level athletes it can also lead to injury.

Another cause of injury that directly relates to fundamental movement skills is the use of a warm-ups, mobility and activation for athletes of all abilities, whether it be hobbyists or Olympic sprinters. These key factors of training not only warm up the muscles but prepare the body for the movement patterns that they are going to perform thus reducing the risk of injury and increasing performance, this can be called potentiating. Common misconceptions of resistance training include stunted growth, children cannot increase in strength and that weightlifting is inappropriate for young children (Faigenbaum, 2008). Malina, Bouchard & Bar-Or have said that strength gains occur throughout childhood and adolescence due to growth and maturation (Malina, Bouchard & Bar-Or, 2004). Most strength gains in children however are mostly due to neural factors rather than hypertrophic factors due to the increased motor unit recruitment and activation, this is due to the lower levels of testosterone present in a child before adolescence to stimulate increases in muscle size and therefore in order to develop a high level of athlete movement patterns and resistance training must be started from a young age.

Basman, A.J (2019) Assessment criteria of fundamental movement skills for various age groups: A Systematic Review. pp. 1

Faigenbaum, A (2008) YOUTH RESISTANCE TRAINING: UPDATED POSITION STATEMENT PAPER FROM THE NATIONAL STRENGTH AND CONDITIONING ASSOCIATION. Pp. 2

Malina, Bouchard & Bar-Or (2004) Growth, Maturation, and Physical Activity. 2^nd ed