Last updated on Friday, 29, January, 2021

Health and sports go hand in hand. And expert advice is always necessary. So here we have brought to you 10 exercises for cricketers that only coaches tell their players for health, fitness, and better performance on the ground.

EXERCISES FOR CRICKETERS

Squats

A squat is the easiest, most feasible, and effective exercise to build strength in your legs. Furthermore, it is considered by coaches as the best way to increase mobility and flexibility of hips. Catches win matches. There has been a special focus on the fielding aspect of cricket in recent years. Coaches want to make sure that their players are healthy enough to dive and save a few crucial runs.

The proper way to squat is to increase the distance between your feet and move your hips ups and down as much as possible. Make sure you are not resting your hands on your knees for support. Places your hands behind your head, or cross them around your chest, or have some rod in your hand just for balance. For better reference see below.

Single leg squat

Single-leg squat, as the name suggests is the next level of basic squat exercise as discussed above. You might have seen PSL players, or any other cricketers doing these exercises before the match.  One leg squat is pretty much similar to a squat, just that unlike squat, you are allowed to balance yourself only on one leg.

This exercise is mostly used for rapid transformation for sportsmen and sportswomen. Through simple rational thinking, one can deduce that since much weight is on one leg, it takes more strength, muscle, and energy to do this exercise. Which leads to quick and solid results. Mostly PSL players and cricketers do this in combination with basic running. It goes like the one-leg squat, one step forward, one-leg squat, and so on. But for beginners, this combination is not recommended.

Deadlift

Don’t get scared with the word dead in the name. It just means that you lift a barbell and loses your hands to hang. As squat and leg squat helps cricketers, footballers, and other sportsmen in building their legs and hips, the deadlift is for arms, arms wrists, and shoulders. This is one of the exercises for cricketers mostly done indoors which is why you don’t see coaches, or PSL players doing this. For better reference, see below.

Cross hip lift

Your back is the point that connects your upper body with your lower body. So a cricketer needs to have a flexible and strong back. This exercise if for your back and hips. To do this, bring first, stretch yourself on the floor with your face directing towards the sky. Now pull your right (basically either) leg towards your chest. PSL players might do it for a bit longer time or as instructed by coaches, but for beginners,  4 to 6 seconds are more than enough. Now give it a rest, and pull the other leg. Continue this cycle for some time. The picture in the reference gives a better idea.

Press-ups

Press-ups, push-ups, are perhaps the most popular exercise in any sports. Further, it’s as vital as it is popular. It helps your arms, wrists, chest, thighs, feet, back, and neck. But unfortunately, most people don’t perform it right. The proper way to perform press-ups is instructed by coaches to players that stretch yourself on the ground facing the ground. On your feet fingers and placing your hands near your ears, create distance You can add things to this. Like on handed, or putting some weight. But, as you might have seen PSL players, they do it without extra obstacles which are better for rapid growth in flexibility.

Medicine ball throws

Medicine ball throws have been by far, one of the most challenging exercises for cricketers. It not only builds strength but also teaches how to control frustration, anger, and stress. The simple rule that even whatever force you exerts, it won’t bounce as much, which opposes our presupposed training. In such situations, one experiences how cricketers feel different emotions on the field. For practice, grab a medicine ball, hold it with both hands from both ends. Hit the ground with this ball with as much force you want. Repeat this exercise for 20 to 30 times.

Bent over rows

Bent over rows can be done with dumbells or barbells. The basic principle suggested is to lower your hips and then lift and down the barbell or dumbells. It’s important for your back, hips, arms, chest, and shoulders.

Hang pull

Stretching the body by hanging with a pole. It’s also one of the most famous exercises for cricketers worldwide and in Pakistan. There are high chances that you have also tried this exercise once in a local park or somewhere like that.

Alternative arm superman

We all remember Superman, especially while flying. This exercise is also similar to it. Just instead of your both hands in front and both legs stretched behind, you change between alternate arms and legs. So right leg and left arm in the air and then, left leg and right arm in the air. See below for a better understanding.

Lunge with Torso Twist and Rotator cuff

It’s a combination of two exercises. Torso Twist and Rotator cuff. Torso twist is by stretching your one leg and bending the other by lowering your hips. And rotator cuff requires the rotation of the upper part of the body around your hips. And then changing between alternate legs and direction of rotation. For clarification, see the image below:

Coaches focus on individual players and hence most of the exercises circle around their health and fitness. For your personalized exercises, you can contact experts online here. Or visit us for more information at Instacare.