· Uses equipment such as medicine balls, Swiss balls, and rubber bands to activate and stabilize muscle groups in a specific region.
· It better prepares individuals for recreational and sports activities that require moderate to high levels of physical activity.
· Addresses all performance components such as balance, reaction, agility, acceleration, and deceleration.
· Fitness professionals should incorporate functional exercises into warm-up, such as instead of riding a bike for 10 minutes, the individual should perform functional exercises for his or her warm-up.

Dynamic Flexibility- the act of moving a joint through its range of motion with little resistance in a timely fashion. This will improve flexibility, proprioception, balance, coordination, and movement speed while emphasizing the proper mechanics of plyometric, speed and agility movements
Dynamic movements also raises the bodies core temperature as well as deep muscle temperature, decreases the inhibition of antagonist muscles, elongates active muscles, stimulates the nervous system and helps decrease the chance of injury. (Gambetta)

FACTORS AFFECTING FLEXIBILITY

1. GENDER-women are more flexible than men
2. AGE-older you get less flexible you become
3. FLEXIBILITY INCREASES WITH HEAT
4. PHYSICALLY ACTIVE INDIVIDUALS ARE MORE FLEXIBLE

STATIC STRETCHING-
Is best effective following completion of activity for 15-20 min.

HELPFUL HINTS:
· Perform exercises in a managed order. EX: would not be beneficial to do skips first followed the scorpion stretch
· Start out with low intensity stretches then build up to faster more explosive stretches
· If athlete is not sweating then they did not properly warm-up

DIFFERENT DYNAMIC EXERCISES

(These can be done 10 to 20 yards apart)

LOWER BODY

1. FORWARD LUNGE WALK-while lunge walking bring elbows to outside of knee; ex: left knee out, bring right elbow to lateral left knee
2. BACKWARD LUNGE WALK-same thing but backwards
3. FORWARD LUNGE REACHING UP AND DIAGONAL-whichever knee in forward that is the way you are reaching up and diagonal. You will feel this stretch in the hip flexor area
4. BACKWARD LUNGE REACHING BACK AND DIAGONAL-same principle but backwards
5. LUNGE WALK BRINGING FOREARM TO INSTEP OF FOOT-when lunging with right knee forward bring left forearm to the right foot
6. LATERAL LUNGE-this occurs both right and left getting deep into a lateral squat position
7. HIGH KNEE UP AND GRAB-pull knee up to chest while coming up high on toe of opposite foot while walking. Alternate
8. GRAB ANKLE AND PULL TO BUTT-pull ankle up to butt while coming up high on foot while walking
9. PULL SHIN UP TO BUTT-when stretching right leg: use left hand to grab right foot and use right hand with overhand grip to grab right shin feeling a stretch in the glut/piriformis area while walking
10. TIN SOLDIERS REGULAR-keep hands out front like soldier kicking same leg up to same hand
11. TIN SOLDIERS ACROSS-same thing except kick opposite leg to opposite arm
12. OPPOSITE ARM TO OPPOSITE TOE-bend over and grab toe with opposite arm while walking
13. PRONE POSITION TO A "V" UP (INCH WORM)-start in prone position and walk forward with hands and feet simultaneously until feeling stretch in hams. Do this down field
14. FORWARD LEG SWINGS-hang on to partner or fence and forcefully kick leg forward and backward
15. SIDE TO SIDE LEG UPS-hang on to partner or fence and swing legs up to the side
16. SUMO GROIN STRETCH-toes are pointed outward while flexing knees or bending down
17. SCPORPION-lye prone and swing right leg over to left while keeping pelvis on floor. Repeat this with other side. Good one to start with.
18. SPIDERMAN'S-On all fours bringing knee up to elbow alternating
19. SINGLE LEG RDL'S-Alternate legs as you move forward
20. FIGURE FOUR-Pull opposite foot to opposite hip flexor
21. REVERSE FIGURE FOUR-Underhand grip externally rotating hip bringing ankle up
22. INCHWORM-Start out on hands walk out to a push-up position, and then walk up with feet to your hands. Keep legs straight whole time. (Hamstring stretch)
23. DEEP LUNGE-Bring right elbow to left foot performing a lunge then alternate. Attempt to touch your elbow to the ground

UPPER BODY

1. ARM CIRCLES- can do 3 exercises here:
· Forward and backward
· Golf swings bilateral
· Alternate forward and backward
2. MIMIC THE ACTUAL SPORT YOU ARE WARMING UP FOR: be creative here EX; baseball player use throwing motion or fielding a ball