No matter what physical activity you enjoy – you're sure to get sore muscles if you're not in shape. You could even be injured. That would be terrible! Think of the hours of fun you'd miss out on.
You know the physical demands of your sport. Skiing, soccer, softball, football, tennis, golf, and even gardening require certain degrees of endurance, strength, and flexibility. But if you've spent the last several months sitting on the sidelines, you're sure to be short of breath, and feel tightness and pain in your muscles at the start of the season.
So what's the solution?
All-Around Conditioning
Start a general conditioning program. Now. That doesn't mean you get off the couch and head straight to the driving range to hit a few buckets of balls. You could pull a back or shoulder muscle.
Being able to drive a ball 200 yards, throw a fastball, or sink three-pointers isn't as great for your health as is overall physical fitness. Besides, you'll play better by focusing on your overall fitness level. If you're really serious about your sport, you'll do more than work to perfect the skills specific to your sport.
Don't play a sport to get in shape; get in shape to play your sport.
What to Focus On
Specific skills you should focus on year 'round are aerobic endurance, strength training, flexibility, balance, and anaerobic (short bursts of energy) fitness. You could start walking, join an aerobic dance class, or go swimming at a local pool.
To avoid fatigue or muscle overuse, start out slowly and steadily increase the duration and intensity until you're at your desired level of fitness. You might begin with two or three days a week – on nonconsecutive days. As your fitness level improves, you can exercise up to six days in a row. Be sure to rest at least one day out of seven. That day isn't wasted; your body needs one day off a week.
Allow your body six to eight weeks of conditioning before focusing on your sport. At that time, you can add exercises that will build strength, coordination, range of motion, or flexibility to the muscle groups you need to play your sport well. Be sure to balance out the muscles. For example, skiing uses a lot of muscles on the outside of the legs. As you work to strengthen them, be sure to also strengthen the muscles on the inside of your legs.
Once you've established a fitness routine, you can begin working on improving your waterskiing, snowboarding, or snowshoeing skills.
Other Considerations
Of course, you should drink plenty of water, eat nutritious, well-balanced meals, and get adequate sleep. And if you're older or have a medical condition, check with your health provider before beginning any kind of fitness program. |
