Maintaining Fitness in the Off-season

Back in January, you vowed to get fitter. Another season of sport was just around the corner, and rather than going in under prepared and risking another hammy strain (two in the past three years), you would start running sooner, maybe throw in some regular sprint sessions (keen!) and swing around those kettle bells you got for Christmas.

The rains were tumbling down, you had some holidays booked and then work was busy. Time seemed to fly by. Before you knew it, pre-season was underway, and games started in a month. 

No worries, you thought. I’m onto it. Four weeks is plenty of time.

You got to two of the pre-season sessions and threw in an extra run each week. Still, by the time you hit the track you were blowing worse than old Uncle Merv, and he’s been a pack-a-day smoker for 40 years.

All good, I’ll take the first few games easy, use it as some extra pre-season training. Game one went well, you got the win, and even though you pulled up a little sore (bloody DOMS), you were pumped. 

Week two came around, skills were back, you were leading strong, and then POP. There goes the hammy. Not the one you did last year, the other one. Damn.

Sound familiar?

The off season can be hard to stay motivated. After a gruelling season of sport, we need a rest and break from the rigours of sport to freshen up both physical and mentally. The goal is to achieve this while not losing all the physical gains from the previous season. Believe it or not, our bodies really do like some regular load exposure. In fact, most of our tissues thrive on it. So how does the off season differ from pre-season and in-season training, and how do we manage the off-season to ensure we’re ready to tackle the pre-season when it comes knocking in a few months’ time?

Pre-Season Training

Preseason training is a period of progressive overload sessions that occur prior to the commencement of a new season. They are designed to condition the athlete for the physical requirements of the next season and prepare them for the demands and skills of the game. A well designed and adequate preseason will cover aerobic and anaerobic work, strength, and speed, lifting your fitness levels to new heights. It can also reduce injury risk. Read more about pre-season training here.

In-Season Training

During the season, training is often sport-specific and focussed on the key attributes of the sport. If you play an endurance-based sport, like hockey or soccer, then training will necessitate plenty of running and skills work and perhaps some routine strength sessions (if not, you should, it makes a massive difference). If you’re a cyclist, you’ll do plenty of riding. This routine is important for keeping the body ‘fit for purpose’ so to speak. It can be gruelling, both physically and mentally, managing training timing and load to ensure you are in peak condition for each event or game, while honing your skills so you can execute repeatedly to a satisfying level.

Phew. No wonder we feel like a few beers in the off season.

Off-season training

Off-season training is all about letting your body and mind recover, minimising loss of fitness, and addressing pains and niggles that have arisen over the previous season. 

At the end of a season or big competition, take a few weeks to unwind. When you do start thinking about training again, change it up.

Why? Following the same routine during the off-season for other training phases has a few issues:

• It can become monotonous and mentally fatiguing, which can seriously impact motivation.
• You can increase your risk of overuse injuries by not allowing some opportunity for tissues to repair and recover from the demands of the season.
• You can train yourself into an injury by not correcting pre-existing muscle imbalances or biomechanical issues.

So how do you change things for the off-season, reduce your injury risk AND keep it interesting?

The key to an effective off-season period is planning and thinking outside the normal routine.

First up, if you think you have nothing to work on in the off-season, get some advice. Your coach will be able to advise what physical attributes you need to work on. If you have had a run of injuries, or been pulling up sore from games, see your physio first, as they can help identify causes and set out an effective exercise plan that ticks all the boxes.

1. Address Deficiencies. The off-season is the perfect chance to address some of the deficiencies from the previous season. For instance, maybe you found it hard to run out a game or repeat sprint efforts were hard. Pulling up sore after every game? Some additional strength work might be required
2. Had an injury? While you may have made a full return to sport, there are likely to be some ongoing issues present that need to be worked on. For instance, if you’ve had a hamstring strain, then you might have some persistent muscle imbalances, muscle tightness, neural tightness or gluteal weakness that is increasing your risk of a future strain. The off-season is the perfect time to address these.
3. Upskill in other areas. Modifying your training can allow some muscle groups and joints to recover, while expose underutilised areas of the body to some load and adaptation. This can sharpen up other skills, such as agility, power, balance and coordination. 
4. Cross train. The off-season is a great time to explore different training options. Getting on the bike or doing some swimming can be great for upping your cardiovascular fitness, while cross fit or circuit classes will strengthen other parts of the body. A simple body resistance program you can do at home is perfect in the wet season when getting outdoors can be a little challenging. A program like this can be a great place to start.
5. Explore other sports. Picking up a different sport during the off-season can be a great way to challenge your fitness and physical competencies. Squash, tennis, basketball and indoor hockey (if they are not your main sport) are great for fitness, agility and speed, while martial arts or yoga are great for balance, control and mind body awareness. New sports are also a good opportunity to meet new people and stay socially engaged, which can help with…motivation.

Staying motivated

For many, this is the hardest part, particularly for the weekend warriors out there. Despite best intentions, life gets busy and too often our exercise commitments are the first to go. So how do you stay motivated and on track? Here are some simple tips to get your off-season training humming along.

1. Set SMART goals. Specific. Measurable. Achievable. Realistic. Time sensitive. Remember why you are exercising and what it was you wanted to achieve in the first place. It might be running 5km in under a specified time, doing 5 chin-ups, or holding a plank for 2mins.
2. Exercise with a friend. Having a partner in exercise can increase accountability. No one likes to let a friend down, and sharing is caring, particularly when DOMS might raise it's head.
3. Plan your exercise times. Block out time in your schedule to exercise. If you miss a session, don’t sweat it. Just look to the next session and commit to it.
4. Exercise early. While it can be hard getting up early to exercise, most of us will feel better for it and have more energy for the day ahead. It also reduces the chances of missing a session as things always seem to come up at the end of the day.
5. Keep it interesting. Vary your sessions throughout the week. Mix in some longer runs or a bike ride, lift some weights, do a stretch session, or challenge your core muscles.
6. Eat and drink mindfully. A well-balanced diet will keep you feeling healthier and give you more energy, not just for exercise but for everything life throws your way. Hydrate well – drink plenty of water and try to avoid sugary drinks, including energy drinks that are calorie laden.

Enjoy a beer or a G&T if that’s your thing, just do it in moderation and try not to overindulge the night before. Exercise with a hangover is not much fun.

The Take Home

The off-season is a key period for any athlete no matter your level of expertise. Planned and managed carefully it will ensure the gains from the year just gone compound into the next season and are not just lost to the couch. Keep in mind that the purpose of this phase is to pull back and let the body physically and mentally freshen up, manage injuries and niggles, and reconnect with other aspects of life. 

Do you want to improve your on-field performance and reduce your injury risk? Give us a call.

At Movement for Life Physiotherapy, we are as much about injury prevention as we are treatment and management.  We love our sport and can work with you and your coaches to tailor an off-season program to meet your individual needs. 

Give us a call now or click on BOOK AN APPOINTMENT to book online.

Sources

1. Clemente, F. M., Ramirez-Campillo, R., & Sarmento, H. (2021). Detrimental effects of the off-season in soccer players: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Sports Medicine, 51, 795-814.
2. Herridge, R., Turner, A., & Bishop, C. (2020). Monitoring changes in power, speed, agility, and endurance in elite cricketers during the off-season period. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 34(8), 2285-2293.
3. Loturco, I., Nunes, R. F., Lampert, R. R., Silva, R. L., Hespanhol, J. E., Novack, L. F., ... & McGuigan, M. R. (2024). Effects of two different low-volume resistance training programs applied during the off-season period on the speed-power performance of elite youth soccer players. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 38(3), 571-576.
4. Mujika, I., Halson, S., Burke, L. M., Balagué, G., & Farrow, D. (2018). An integrated, multifactorial approach to periodization for optimal performance in individual and team sports. International journal of sports physiology and performance, 13(5), 538-561.
5. Twist, C., Williams, J., & Dobbin, N. (2022). Deteriorations in physical qualities during a 10-week unsupervised off-season period in academy rugby union players. Science and Medicine in Football, 6(3), 347-354.