I'll call it, "the Grey Area" of sports conditioning. The time between the end of your season, and your off-season conditioning. There is a lot of confusion about this time I feel, and also the wrong outlook on it.
The time between the end of your season and your off-season conditioning program is a necessity. It is equally as vital as your off-season conditioning itself (for that matter, it is technically a part of your annual conditioning plan).
During the season, your body is beat up, taxed to the limit and not given as much recovery time as perhaps it needs. 3 or 4 days per week at least, it seems that most amateur sports teams are either practicing or playing now-a-days. It seems to become more and more every year.
Therefore, when your season ends, it's a great opportunity to take some "time off". That doesn't mean grab some chips and sit on the couch all day. It means:
-Drop your conditioning sessions/workouts to 2-3 days per week
-Keep workouts generalized (great opportunity for some cross-training
-Focus on your nutritional habits in order to prepare for the upcoming off-season conditioning
-Have fun. For the past 'x' number of months you've been playing hard and focusing on getting better at your sport. Take this time, to relax and just enjoy being active.
-Recovery is a necessity. Learn recovery techniques such as; myofascial release, yoga, infra red sauna, nutrition etc...
If you rush into your conditioning program immediately after your season, you will actually do more damage than good. Recovery time is a must! Take at least 1-2 months to focus on recovery and to be mentally and physically ready to go for the off-season workouts.
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