Summer is here, school is out, and for many athletes, it is the offseason or pre-season for their sport. The offseason is a great time to focus on strength and conditioning to prevent injuries and enhance performance. 10 TIPS FOR ATHLETES TRAINING IN THE OFFSEASON Stay at the Top of Your Game — All Year Long
Here are tips to make the most of this opportunity. 1. Training: Focus on strength and conditioning specific to the sport. Depending on the sport, this may include aspects of speed, strength, agility, and mechanics. 2. Flexibility: Improving your body’s ability to move and stretch increases performance and reduces injuries by allowing you to perform movements more efficiently. 3. Nutrition: Eat a balanced diet and stay hydrated, especially as the days heat up in the summer. 4. Sleep: Get enough sleep to help your body recover from training. Research shows lack of sleep leads to reduced athletic performance. The recommended amount of sleep depends on your age: Kids 6–12 should get 9 -12 hours of sleep; Teens ages 13–18 should get 8 to 10 hours; and Adults need seven or more hours of sleep. 5. Cross-training: Try different activities to challenge your body and stay mentally fit. Research shows that the best NCAA athletes participated in more than one sport in high school, developing various skills and avoiding overuse injuries.
6. A training log: Track your training and exercises and activities performed to see your progress. Be sure to include the number of reps and weights. 7. Goals: Set clear goals. Knowing what you want to accomplish helps you stay focused and motivated. 8. Schedule: Maintain a balanced schedule. Too much is too much — it is still summer break. 9. Guidance: Seek professional guidance from coaches, trainers, physical therapists, or sports nutritionists. 10. Injuries: Don’t risk sitting on the sidelines next season, address injuries ignored during the season. Rest in the offseason may result in pain going away, only to return when you go back to your sport. See a physical therapist. As a musculoskeletal and movement expert, your therapist will determine the contributing factors to your injury and pain and work with you to develop a program to keep you at the top of your sport.
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