The football Premier League season has begun again so it's time to get fit!!
It is now 2-3 weeks until the schools go back, and clubs restart their preseason training. In a sudden last-minute bid to get fit many athletes train harder and more frequently than they have for weeks creating a sudden spike in workload. Research shows that these sudden spikes in activity create stress on tendons and bones and can cause injury.
The body needs some time off from sport at the end of the season to recover but it is essential to start building back up again slowly and scientifically. The body has the most amazing capacity to adapt to any stress or load placed upon it providing that it has time to do so and it is strong enough to withstand the load being asked of it. Evidence suggests that if we calculate our workload as an average of the last 3 weeks and add 10% it will give us this week’s exercise dose.
Assess the demands of your sport and start to replicate the movements. Use a variety of loads such as cycling, rowing or swimming rather than just adding running each day. Record the volume of activity and keep a log.
Gradually pick up the speed, distance and intensity but not all in one session. Try to vary only one of these variables within a session so it is easier to calculate and record the level of training. Make sure you factor rest days in to allow the body to recover and adapt and become stronger.
If you have left it too late to start training, then pace yourself for the first few weeks of the season. Better to miss a few training sessions or only train for half the session at lower intensity than spend the first half of the season out with a stress fracture.
Another area to think about is whether your child’s feet have grown over the summer. Correctly fitting footwear both at school and in sport is essential. If your child has insoles and their feet have grown, then you will also need to get a podiatry review.
We are currently offering preseason training programmes and strength and conditioning sessions so if you want a programme or are not sure what to do then ask us before you get injured.
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