What is Pre-Season Training
Whether you’re a professional athlete or a weekend warrior, in order to get the best results, your body will benefit from adequate pre-season training.
Pre-season training is the preparation you complete in the months leading up to your sports’ season. The correct training is required to improve your base fitness and renew or improve your technical abilities in your chosen sport. It involves training specific skills and techniques your sport demands, as well as improving your general endurance and fitness.
We want you starting your season at peak fitness rather than reaching your peak halfway through. Everyone needs some downtime to rest in the off-season, but then adequate training is required to build back up again.
Pre-season training will:
Ensure you have adequate strength and flexibility for competition
Prepare your body so that your initial competitions don’t feel as difficult
Give you time to actively work on areas that are weaker
Help you prevent injuries and recover before they impact your season
An adequate pre-season training regime normally begins approximately twelve weeks before the start of your season. Your program should be diverse in activities yet specific to your sport. It should include strength, endurance, power, speed, agility, flexibility, balance and technical skills.
It’s important to not over-do it in your pre-season, yet build up a gradual fitness and strength foundation.
Off-Season Rest
The period following the end of a sporting season is called the off-season. During this time the goal is to rest and recover. It doesn’t mean complete inactivity but rather a break from intense, scheduled training.
Sporting seasons are often physically and mentally demanding on your body. Time off from vigorous training allows your body time to heal from injury or over-use. It is also a time to recover from mental exhaustion. Athletes often complain about feeling mentally burnt out from rigorous training. Mental rest is important to help sustain high performance in sports during the on-season. This is an ideal time to reflect on the previous season, set new goals, and prepare for the year ahead.
After a short period of complete rest, reintroduce physical activity at a lower intensity. Choose activities you enjoy and want to do for fun. Don’t over-exert yourself and refrain from on-season training activities.
At Port Melbourne Physio and Pilates our physiotherapists can identify areas of injury or deficiency so that you can recover properly and be at your best come the next season. We can also help guide you on what you can be doing to help with your pre-season training when the time comes.
Sheree