Baseball Conditioning

If you’re missing your favorite baseball activities, try doing each of these exercises for five minutes each. They’ll help you build your strength and speed so that you’re ready to move around the diamond like a pro! 

• Jump Rope Chant: your favorite counting rhyme and see how many times you can successfully jump rope! No rope, no problem – keep quick feet, and maintain the same wrist action to get a good workout.
• Push-Up Pyramid: Get ready to build your arm muscles. Start by doing 10 right angle pushups in your best form. Then, roll over onto your back and push pulse 10 times. Continue this routine with 9 pushups and 9 pulses; 8; 7; etc. until you get to 0!
• Kettlebell Swings: Baseball hitters need power! Help improve your strength by hiking the kettlebell like a football and driving your hips forward to make the swing. Allow power to move from your glutes, trunk, and arms to float the kettlebell to about neck height. Remember to keep your knees over your ankles! Hint : Don’t have a kettlebell? Use a detergent jug or backpack. 
• Shopping Cart Hustle: Imagine you’re in the store and grabbing your favorite goodies – but you keep walking past the items you need! Use your core and rotate your hips and arms to one side to grab the item from the shelf. Be sure to rotate your sides as you move down the aisles. 

• Spring Ahead: Quick movements are the name of the game when you’re on the baseball field. Train like a catcher and start on your knees. Then jump to a squatting position as fast as you can! Be sure to use your arms to maintain your balance.
• London Bridges: Lie down on your back with your knees bent. Lift your stomach to create a strong bridge shape. Carefully lower and raise the bridge to help create a strong core. Don’t let the bridge fall to the ground!
• 10 Lords A-Leaping: High knees + skipping = an awesome way to build your muscles! Use your arms to swing yourself into the next skip. 
• Bouquet Toss: Imagine you’re tossing a wedding bouquet to your adoring family and friends. Use a weighted ball and stand in your athletic stance. Lower into a squat, and then explode through the hips, knees and ankles to throw that bouquet as high as possible. Bring power to that toss!

• Bear Crawl: It’s the summertime, and bears are working off the extra weight. Assume the bear crawl position and pull this weight (or large textbooks!) backwards. Be sure to keep your back flat, hips low, and core tight!
• Bulgarian Squat: All teams have different exercise styles! Create this squatting technique by elevating one leg on a bench. Keep your chest up and front knee behind your toes and try squatting until your keen is bent at a right angle. Drive through the front heel to return to a start position. Be sure to switch your legs!   
• Crouching Tiger, Hidden Exercise: Step left and lower into a lateral lunge position, before driving back to the start position. Just like a crouching tiger, you’ll help your legs be ready to bounce! Be sure to alternate between left and right legs.
• Crabby Core: It’s summertime, so who doesn’t like the beach! Imagine you’re like a crab on the shore and shuffle from place to place. Keep your back straight to help create a strong core. As an extra challenge, add a weight to your belly!

Remember, all these exercises are challenge by choice! Don’t have the perfect pushup yet? Try using your knees. Ready to bring your game up to the next level? Incorporate additional weight(s) to your routine. The more variety you bring to your physical activities, the more fun you’ll have training for your favorite sport.