aches

[Mid Life Crisis Marathon Man]

1. Touch your toes (or at least wave to them) keeping legs straight
2. Bend backwards from the waist, head back, to warm the back muscles
3. Side stretch left (tilt to left, slide left hand down left leg - ooh err, missus)
4. Side stretch right (opposite of 3)
5. Twist left (hands together and turn at waits to left and hold)
6. Twist right (opp of 5 . . .you get the idea)
7. Left knee grab (lift left knee as high as possible, pull in to chest)
8. Right knee grab . . .
9. Left thigh stretch (hold left ankle and raise behind back to stretch thigh)
10. Right thigh stretch . . .
11. Clean off gravel/ mud/ grass where you fell over during 7 - 10. DM

This is not very far removed from Jason Gillespie's warm up routine before he bowls during a match. Although personally I find touching toes a pain in the back and the hamstrings, and causes a rather distasteful rush of blood to the head. You do see Mathew Hayden and Ricky Ponting doing a lot of toe touching however, so there must be something in it. I relate more to the "waggling your hands in the general direction of the ground" kind of stretch. Gentle, and quite friendly to anyone who happens to be lying on the floor nearby...