Winter sports like hockey and skiing will soon be in full swing and those athletes will be getting their fitness from participating in their sport but it shouldn’t stop there. Major league baseball may just be finishing but minor leagues and recreational leagues have wrapped up their seasons. Other sports like football and soccer may carry on through the winter months depending on the climate in your area but most likely they too will get some time off over the winter. These months are great times to focus on improving your fitness level and skill level for the coming season. You may not consider leisure sports like golf and tennis competitive enough to worry about off-season training but it’s always important to stay in peak shape and strength to avoid injury when you start playing again. No matter what the sport, all-round fitness will improve your skills and ability.

Team Sports

Most team sports require explosive energy for short periods of time. Whether it be a shift on the ice, running to first base, chasing the soccer ball or tackling the opposition, that explosive power needs to be maintained or even bettered during the off-season. Effective power workouts include:

• Interval Training. This involves running on a track or a treadmill or riding a stationary bike for 30 to 40 seconds at a time and resting in between for the same amount of time or slightly longer. The goal is to work as hard as possible in a short period of time. Keep tracking of distance achieved to track your progress.
• Plyometrics which using a lot of jumping, hoping and bounding. Squat jumps are an example of an exercise to build lower body strength and explosiveness.
• Uphill running will help with many athletes because it uses all the muscle groups and is high intensity training.
• Sprint lines help with power and agility. Alter the distance between the lines and ensure the athlete changes direction on each side to build strength in both legs. This is great for sports where you need to change direction quickly like hockey, football and soccer.

Individual Sports

For individual sports explosive power may be less important. These athletes may need to focus more on strength and endurance. In this case following a muscle building or cardio regime may be more suitable. For example, weight lifting for swimmers will improve their times in the pool by increasing strength in all of their muscles. Golfers may benefit from more relaxed exercises like yoga which works on strength, flexibility and concentration.

Dry-land or off-season training of some form should be done by all athletes no matter the ability or age. For young athletes who are just starting out in a sport this training will help them standout from the others and is a great compliment to natural talent. For older athletes or recreational athletes, training in the off-season will help prevent injury and it’s good for overall fitness to remain active all year long. Consider your sport and even your position when deciding on an off-season training program and get advice from a fitness professional or others in your sport to find out the best program for you.