With the “off-season” for football and netball rapidly approaching, for many this can mean their first break from exercise since the beginning of the year. Although the off-season is a good time to have a break and relax it is also important to remember that your body needs to continue to exercise, especially if you’re returning to sport next year.
It is important to rest your body during this time of the year, it can be imperative for both your mental and physical health to have a break and enable you to recharge for next year. By combining a good amount of rest with exercise your off-season can be really helpful in setting you up for the oncoming season.
Here are 4 reasons why managing your off-season exercise program is important.
Injury Prevention
The number one reason that a physiotherapist will tell you that a good exercise routine over the off-season is important is to prevent injuries. A common mistake from sports people is to complete next to no exercise in the off-season and return to sport expecting their muscles to be able to withstand the load that is being put through them with no training. Doing this significantly increases the likelihood of sustaining an injury when you return. By completing exercise during your time off, your muscles are stronger and you are less likely to become injured.
Fitness
We know that time off from exercise decreases your cardiovascular function and strength. By utilising your off-season, you will remain/increase your fitness and strength meaning that when you return to sport you are going to be able to run for longer and improve in certain areas of your chosen sport.
Mental Health/Mindframe
We all know that exercise has huge benefits for our mental health and when sport is no longer in people’s routine they can notice a drop in their moods and happiness. For some people, simply incorporating exercise back into their daily lives can help to improve their mental wellbeing. It can also put you in a really great frame of mind when you do eventually return to sport.
Rehabilitate Current Injuries
The off-season is a great time to rehabilitate any injuries that you have been putting off during the season. Whether it be an injury that you have been feeling throughout the whole season or something that came up towards the end, having a few months with no sport is a great time to get on top of it and make sure you’re feeling 100% next year.
The off season can be utilised extremely well to help build upon your previous season of sport and is very important in order to prevent injuries from occurring in the next season.
Our Physiotherapists, Exercise Physiologist and Exercise Scientist are well trained in helping people to prevent injuries and prescribe exercises that are best suited to you and your sport.
If you have any questions regarding an exercise program that would be right for you, please don’t hesitate to contact us here at Gen Health and we can help you to make sure you’re off season is effective and helps to set you up for success next year.
Disclaimer
All information is general and is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice.
