When was the last time you did five different warm-up exercises before bowling?
For most of us, the answer is probably never.
And one reason may be that we simply didn’t know which exercises were appropriate.
Well, now we do, thanks to Kirri Clark, Director of EFM Unley Health Club, located about 100 metres from our clubrooms.
Kirri has run the popular local business since 2000 and has tertiary qualifications in Applied Science, Exercise and Sport Science.
At our Development Day on Saturday 12 September, Kirri stood on and near the plinth between A and B Greens and took a large group of bowlers through a series of warm-up exercises designed to prepare the body for bowls.
She also provided the club with a printed guide to five recommended exercises.
They include the march and arm swing, which assists balance, coordination and shoulder and hip mobility; ankle rocks, for ankle and calf mobility; the hip hinge, for the hips, lower back and hamstrings; and the reverse lunge and rotation, which prepares the legs, hips and trunk for the bowling delivery.
The fifth is particularly bowls-specific. The bowling stance and reach rehearses the balance, hip mobility and trunk control required in the delivery action.
If it sounds as though Kirri knows something about bowls, she does.
She is an active participant in our Tuesday Night Owls competition, often wearing the EFM shirt and playing alongside her partner, Sturt pennant bowler Andy Hardy in the EFMrs team.
See Photos of Kirri at Night Owls
Club Coach Izzy Trenorden was delighted with Kirri’s contribution to Development Day and said the warm-up provided an excellent start to proceedings.
And Kirri’s contribution did not finish there.
She subsequently provided Izzy with a Game Day Nutrition Tip Sheet, prepared courtesy of EFM Unley and EFM dietitian Emily Steven, offering practical advice to help bowlers maintain their energy and hydration.
The guide covers what to eat and drink before, during and after a bowls match, with suggestions for breakfast, fluids and snacks designed to help avoid low blood sugar and dehydration.
So Development Day delivered more than some new ideas about bowls technique.
Thanks to EFM Unley, Sturt bowlers also learned a little more about preparing their bodies — and fuelling them — before they step onto the green.