This is part 4 of the "Cricket Fitness for Older Players" series. To go to part 1 click here.

Balance and mobility are two often overlooked factors for all cricketers. For older players they are even more important.

Balance is vital because it is the starting point for both power and technique. Mobility is needed to reduce the risk of injury and increase power through having a greater range of motion through your hips, trunk and shoulders.

The good news is that you don't need to do much to keep both of these fitness factors well trained.

Warm up well

The key to both mobility and balance is to train them during a full warm up before you pick up a bat or ball in anger.

A good warm up not only gets you warm, it prepares you to work off balance (running, fielding, batting) and through a wide range of motion with dynamic flexibility exercises (batting, bowling, throwing).

Everyone can benefit from a good warm up lasting 15-20 minutes, but older players can easily extend this to anything up to half an hour.

Remember, the idea of a warm up is to gradually increase the intensity over the whole time you are warming up until you are ready to either play, train or do some fitness work.

Avoiding a warm up (even in practice) or doing a few quick throws on the outfield before trying to open the bowling are a sure way to see your performance dip and your injury chances shoot up.

So as the senior 'pro', take the lead and get your whole side warming up before play. It will help you, and help the team.

To go to the final part of the "Cricket fitness for older players" series, click here..