As we enter the month of February, many athletes are finishing up a long stretch of football and basketball seasons. At this point in the year, their bodies are running on empty, tired and banged up from the last five months of rigorous activity. For most high school athletes, the end of basketball season marks the end of sports for the year. Training can start as early as last March, through two-a-days in August, finishing up with the pounding on their knees from the hardwood during games. Starting now, they are entering the most pivotal time of the year...the post-season. This is often referred to as "active-rest", a time for athletes to let their bodies recuperate and heal. A common mistake, however, is that young people take too much time off, therefore letting their bodies become completely out of shape. This is where the term active-rest comes into play. During the season, the knee and hip joints take quite a pounding. During active rest, I encourage my athletes to find an activity that has three qualities: (1) it is fun, (2) it keeps their oxygen up, and (3) it is easy on the joints. One suggestion is to swim. Swimming is an incredible cardiovascular workout, while providing little to no pressure on your major joints (start slow to avoid rotator cuff injuries). Biking is another fun and effective post-season workout. It is important to take 3-4 weeks after the season to let your body recover. Thursday, I will give you tips on how to best transfer into the next phase of the year (and my personal favorite)...off-season training!
Tuesday, January 25, 2011
Post-Season Training
As we enter the month of February, many athletes are finishing up a long stretch of football and basketball seasons. At this point in the year, their bodies are running on empty, tired and banged up from the last five months of rigorous activity. For most high school athletes, the end of basketball season marks the end of sports for the year. Training can start as early as last March, through two-a-days in August, finishing up with the pounding on their knees from the hardwood during games. Starting now, they are entering the most pivotal time of the year...the post-season. This is often referred to as "active-rest", a time for athletes to let their bodies recuperate and heal. A common mistake, however, is that young people take too much time off, therefore letting their bodies become completely out of shape. This is where the term active-rest comes into play. During the season, the knee and hip joints take quite a pounding. During active rest, I encourage my athletes to find an activity that has three qualities: (1) it is fun, (2) it keeps their oxygen up, and (3) it is easy on the joints. One suggestion is to swim. Swimming is an incredible cardiovascular workout, while providing little to no pressure on your major joints (start slow to avoid rotator cuff injuries). Biking is another fun and effective post-season workout. It is important to take 3-4 weeks after the season to let your body recover. Thursday, I will give you tips on how to best transfer into the next phase of the year (and my personal favorite)...off-season training!
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