So cooler temperatures are on the horizon. If you are among many who enjoy outdoor activities, but live in a climate where winter is looming, what do you do? Sure moving is one option. But if that’s not part of your agenda, read on.
I know there are those who simply can’t run anywhere but outside. Maybe an outdoor court holds memories of neighborhood friends gathering for impromptu hoops. Playing inside just doesn’t hold the same mystique. The idea of kicking a soccer ball across anything but grass is sacrilege. Softball and baseball enthusiasts–I can already see the mist welling up in your eyes. Seeing your children return to school leaves you a little dismayed; well maybe that’s a stretch.
If you are among those whose sporting dreams fade and fall with the dried leaves, what do you do? What’s your off-season plan? Do you have one?
Nothing replaces what you know and love, and replicates it in circumstances you desire, without the idea of “it’s not the same.” Acknowledging this fact helps. Running on a treadmill doesn’t come close to a sunlit trail strewn with heavy shade. However, losing what you’ve worked hard to accomplish shouldn’t be an option.
What do I do? I get bored easily. Therefore, I mix it up with a variety of combination workouts. Perhaps the INSANITY warm-up coupled with BALLET BEAUTIFUL legs and arms. Or TAE BO FLEX coupled with yoga stretches afterward. Who said you have to stick to one workout in its entirety?
Was I always this adaptable? I could say yes, but too many who know me read my posts.
Though running on a treadmill never bothered me, I understand how strictly outdoor runners feel. I can also empathize with those in situations I mentioned earlier. The trick is to find something which simulates what you enjoy. Also, consider the repetitive stress you place on muscles used for your sport. Change in seasons might signal a break–one where you develop muscles which support your habit.
If you play softball, what will enable you to keep your arm strength and rotation? What can help you develop muscles supporting your shoulders and back, as well as your torso? If soccer is your passion, what will help you maintain your running endurance, as well as your kick? You also need a strong core and back. These are just a few considerations to keep in mind.
Maybe you have an off-season plan; but maybe not. The parts of your body used primarily for your sport are not subsets; they are integral to the whole. Allow cooler temperatures to herald a time to integrate the whole, and stop focusing on a part.
All for now. Keep up and keep at it.
Need strategies to keep you going through your off-season? Contact me at serrenity.c@gmail.com
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