Summer Conditioning Tips for Athletes
Preparation for the fall sports season begins months before with summer conditioning. Summer conditioning is the foundation upon which the coming year’s season is built and it helps reduce the number of in-season injuries. A Journal of Sports Medicine study stated that strength and conditioning training reduces sports injuries to less than one-third and overuse injuries are decreased by nearly fifty percent.
Conditioning allows athletes to slowly prepare the body for the sports season by progressively building up intensity of exercise. This allows the muscles, bones, and joints to adapt to the increased stress placed upon them by the steadily intensifying conditioning. Conditioning in summer heat not only makes you a better conditioned athlete in the summer months, but also leads to a significant jump in performance when the weather cools down.
Benefits of Summer Sports Conditioning
Increased muscle mass
Improved speed and agility
Fine-tuned sport-specific drills
Strengthened muscles, tendons, bones, and joints which reduces joint injury
Increased flexibility to prevent tears in ligaments and muscles
Makes your body work more efficiently when you compete no matter the temperature
6 Tips for Safe & Healthy Summer Conditioning
1. Hydrate. It’s important to hydrate before, during, and after your workout. When you practice in the heat, you sweat more, meaning you need to replenish your body with water at a faster rate. Without hydrating, you place yourself at risk of dehydration.
2. Eat Nutritiously. Fuel your body with proper nutrients to perform at a high level. If you have an early morning conditioning session, be sure to eat. Do not train on an empty stomach. Within two hours of your conditioning session, consume a post-workout meal.
3. Always Warm Up. Though your body may feel hot from the heat, that does not mean your muscles are properly warmed up. To prevent a pulled muscle, engage in warm up exercises. Warming up prevents muscle strain. Getting your muscles moving slowly by warming up prepares them for more intense activity to follow.
a. Stretching during your warm-up helps prevent muscle strains, ligament and tendon tears, and overuse injuries. Stretching also improves flexibility and range of motion.
4. Take breaks as needed. If you begin to feel unwell or dehydrated, let a coach know. Don’t push yourself too hard if you feel unwell as this can lead to injury.
5. Don’t go too hard too fast. Conditioning is meant to be a process in which each week builds on the next in terms of intensity. Practicing to hard too soon when you are not conditioned appropriately can lead to injuries.
6. Cool down after your workout. Stretching and cooling down post-workout are important to prevent lactic acid build-up in the muscles, which makes you recover at a slower rate. This cool down process helps your heart rate and breathing return to resting levels. Cooling down also prevents dizziness or fainting following your workout. Cool down by gradually lowering the intensity of your exercise for the last ten minutes of the session.
Summer conditioning is a great way to prepare for a successful fall sports season. Follow our 6 tips for safe and healthy summer conditioning. We at Mangiarelli Rehabilitation look forward to supporting your athletic endeavors in the fall!
