The off-season period is very important for athletes and you should take advantage of all the time you have to do things that will benefit you  in your  future season. It is a time to disconnect a little from your sport, try new things and have a mental break, but that doesn't mean the off-season should be easy–there are so many ways all athletes can train during this time. Here are some of the most beneficial things you can do for any sport during your downtime. 

Yoga 

Yoga is extremely beneficial for athletes of all sports for many reasons. It helps release tension generated by practicing a sport at a high intensity and improves flexibility and equilibrium which benefits performance in every sport. Additionally, it makes athletes aware of their breathing, something that may be extremely beneficial when it comes to being nervous before a competition or match. Yoga also has mental benefits–it also helps athletes de-stress and clear the mind. 

Related: Athletes: How to Practice Mindfulness

Practicing a different sport 

It is important to keep your body active and a great way to keep moving  is practicing different sports that you like. This can  be very beneficial because it makes you move muscles that you may not usually use for your sports. Maybe most importantly, experimenting with new sports  helps you to try different things and stay active  while having fun! 

Meditation

Meditation is a great form of stress relief, and athletes need as much of that as they can get. Athletes who experience high levels of stress, whether on or off the field, are at greater risk of being injured so being a master in meditation can help you release stress and prevent injuries in your next season. And it doesn't take much! Practicing meditation 5-10 minutes a day will help you be better at it and carving out a routing can make it easier to commit to  during your season. You can look up Youtube videos of guided meditations and find the one that you like the most to do daily. This one only takes 10 minutes!

Related: Mindfulness for College Athletes: A 30 Minute “You”tine

Running

Going for runs is beneficial for all athletes because it can help you increase your endurance and stay in shape. You don't have to run super fast or for super long periods of time either. Just maintain a good regular pace that makes you sweat a little bit. 

Gym workouts 

The offseason  is a great time to increase your muscular volume, so hit the gym! It is recommended to talk with your coach if you are going to do this to have a program that can be beneficial for your sport in particular, but all athletes can benefit from regular strength training. 

Work on your weaknesses

This offseason, take time to identify your weaknesses and areas of opportunity. You can do this alone or with help of your coach or teammates. A good way to do this is asking your coach in what areas you need to improve and how to do it and work on it. For team sports you can even ask your teammates what they think you can get better at to have better team results. Once you are aware of the thing you can improve, start a plan of how to get better at all these things. For example, if you are a swimmer you can ask your coach about your butterfly technique and see what he or she says you need to improve, ask for drills to improve it and work on it during the offseason. 

The offseason period is the time of the year where you can give more attention to the things you need to improve and work on them because you will have more free time. Take advantage of it! Take a break and try to improve your mental strength, yoga, meditation and breathing are great ways to do it. Learn new techniques and keep practicing what you enjoy the most next season. Enjoy this period, try new things and disconnect a little bit from your sport. 

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* Originally published on July 15, 2022, by Camila Cramer