Quick Tips to Re-Charge After Your Season.
If your sport season is coming to a close, it can be tempting to attack the weight room with new enthusiasm. But while you may be itching to hit the ground running, it’s important to take some time for to reflect, rest and recover before you look toward next season. Here are three quick tips to help you re-charge after your season.
REFLECT
Preparation and performance can be categorized in 3 areas:
- Physical – Cardiovascular fitness, speed/agility, strength/core training, diet and nutrition, injury prevention.
- Fundamental – Aspects related to the development of the many physical skills specifically related to the sport you participate in.
- Mental – Focus, intensity, purpose, trust, strategy formulation, adversity and coping skills, decision-making capabilities.
No matter how good you are in a sport, you can always get better and improve. Few athletes actually take the time to assess, critique, and formulate strategies to improve in an honest and purposful manner.
Try this short exercise…
When answering the following questions, be as specific and detailed as possible in relation to the physical, fundamental, and mental aspects of your preparation and performance.
- What aspects of your performance were you pleased with last season?
- What aspects of your performance were you NOT pleased with last season?
- What is your assessment of your daily preparation during the past season?
- How can your preparation improve?
- How have you matured as a person and as an athlete since last season?
REST and RECOVER
After the season your body needs a break. There will be plenty of time to train for your next season, and the best way to start preparing now is to give your body enough time to fully recover. Take two weeks off of high-intensity activity and address any injuries.
This rest period includes all structured high-intensity activity—no strength training and no workouts or pick-up games.
However, you don’t need to stop ALL activity.
Stretching (try these 3 mobility moves), foam-rolling (article and FREE CHEAT SHEET on foam rolling), and low-intensity cross-training—like riding a stationary bike, going for a brisk walk—are great options for active rest.
Resist the urge to jump back into training immediately after the season to take the time reflect, rest, recover, and re-charge!