No Days Off For College Athletes

By Christy Flom on July 7, 2015

When athletes are not in season, many people unknowingly assume they get a break from the difficult workouts, long practices and sore nights. However, this could not be further from the truth.

While there is definitely a difference between the workouts for athletes during the offseason compared to the preseason and competitive season, staying in shape is a year-round dedication at the college level and higher. For many athletes, the offseason is arguably one of the most important spans of time.

College athletes are some of the fittest people in the nation, if not the world. In order to compete with the best of the best they have to be constantly working on their game. This means there really is no offseason.

Image via pixabay.com

Thinking of it this way may help: if an athlete were to take a month or longer off, they would most definitely return either way out of shape or extremely far behind the other players. Therefore, it has become an expectation of athletes rather than a personal decision for them to continue to work out after their season ends.

Maintaining a certain level of fitness also makes it much easier on the athlete once the preseason begins. Rather than starting from scratch every time a new season begins, athletes can jump into the season ready to improve their skills and work on different aspects of a game instead of focusing on running sprints or hitting the weight room at every free moment.

Staying fit also helps prevent injuries. Long breaks can make you more prone to sprains, tears, and breaks. By constantly working the muscles in your body, they are continually growing in strength. While injuries can definitely occur from overworking certain muscles, staying active a couple of days a week will maintain the endurance of muscles while preventing them from getting stiff.

A great way to stay in shape without overworking your body is to cross train. This is when basketball players try swimming, or swimmers try biking, and so on. Athletes should use the summer months to try tennis, biking, yoga, and swimming as forms of exercise to shape different muscles. By switching up what is being worked each day, new muscles will form and grow helping the dominant muscles used by athletes of specific sports.

(Image via Haven)

By trying different activities, athletes can also enjoy their time “off.” Playing tennis can become a social event while also a good workout. This way, athletes can spend time with friends and family without losing focus. This is one aspect of being a college athlete that can often be forgotten. It is healthy for athletes to take time away from the gym or weight room and to get out and play with friends.

Striking a balance during the offseason of socializing and working out is a much more feasible task than during the preseason and season. Since there are NCAA rules against the amount of time that coaches can work with players in the offseason, players can have time for themselves. And, unless you are taking summer classes, the disappearance of the stress that school places on athletes also makes offseason workouts more enjoyable and desirable.

Finally, traveling is possible to a certain extent for athletes in the offseason. Working out in a foreign country or simply at a friend’s cottage keeps things fresh both mentally and physically. As a person who lives in a geographically flat area during the school year, I love going into northern Michigan to run throughout the hilly terrains. Adjusting to different surroundings and courses creates a new and challenging option for athletes who are stuck in a gym, on a field or in the water for their competitive seasons.

(image via flickr.com)

If traveling internationally is not an option, there are other options closer to home for everyone across the nation. Running in 5K races, competing in triathlons, or even training to become the next American Ninja Warrior are great ways to set goals in the offseason that have a tangible award. There is no greater feeling than completing a race and being handed the dinky, yet surprisingly heavy plastic medals that each contestant receives at the finish line.

For athletes, or people simply interested in staying in shape during the summer, there are hundreds of workouts available through different mediums. Hiring a personal trainer at the gym is one way to spend money during the summer, but online workouts are even better since college students can save themselves from going further in debt by simply printing out the workout.

Before running to the gym, however, make sure to know what you are doing there. Improperly using machines or trying to use too many weights without knowing your limit can result in a wide range of injuries that could end up ruining your summer.

Staying in shape in the offseason is crucial for athletes nowadays. Doing it safely and socializing in the process makes working out fun, too. Athletes have enough pressure placed on them during the competitive season. This pressure should be relieved during the offseason through cross training, traveling, and working out with friends.

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