While many athletes perceive the offseason as a time of rest, if you want to excel at your sport, you will need to condition throughout the year.
For those that play soccer, it may seem like the season is already year-round. However, for most players, there are at least a few months where no regular practices or team conditionings are scheduled.
During these months, it's up to the individual athlete to condition at home to maintain the desired athletic fitness.
We will outline a few great options here for home conditioning activities.
Swimming
Swimming is a go-to activity for many athletes that wish to stay in ideal shape without causing a lot of wear and tear on their bodies.
After all, the offseason should involve at least some measure of rest and reduced activity. For those wishing to fully reap the benefits of swimming, installing a home pool is the way to go.
Professional pool builders in Naples can help you to determine the best size, shape, and style of a pool to fit your individual needs.
You may be able to utilize a public pool, but if you are serious about conditioning, having a home pool is ideal because you don't have to compete for time in the pool or pay high monthly gym membership fees just to get in the water.
Swimming laps in a pool regularly can help to maintain the necessary aerobic conditioning that is so important for soccer athletes.
In addition, swimming keeps both upper and lower body muscles engaged for an extended period. This allows soccer athletes to maintain the right amount of muscle tone without negatively impacting their joints.
Running
Running is one of the easiest activities that soccer athletes can do to maintain their endurance during the offseason.
This is another activity that can easily be done from home. Simply lace up your shoes, walk out the door, and start running. Hopefully, you live in an area or a neighborhood where this is possible.
Unfortunately, many people reside in areas where running outside of the home may be dangerous due to traffic or poor road conditions.
For those, investing in a treadmill is a fabulous way to ensure that you can get the mileage you want each day without worrying about external conditions.
The only other cost associated with this type of conditioning will be the cost associated with purchasing good running shoes.
While running can be an effective conditioning tool, running in poor shoes can be an effective way to injure yourself.
You also don't need to invest in the latest expensive tech gadgets to run effectively. You can utilize a simple watch or free smartphone apps to keep track of your mileage and pace.
Yoga & Pilates
Maintaining balance and flexibility are important aspects of long-term conditioning. Athletes that not only focus on endurance but also on stability will experience a higher level of ability.
Yoga and pilates can be done privately in the home with a minimal amount of space. You don't have to subscribe to a gym to take classes with others, and you don't even need to purchase DVDs if you have a reliable internet connection.
A quick online search will reveal a wealth of free videos that can guide you through these exercises. You will want to combine these disciplines with other aerobic sports to maintain maximum condition.
However, doing yoga and pilates will help you to breathe better, stabilize your core, and maintain greater flexibility.
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Thankfully, taking a break from soccer in the offseason doesn't just give your body a rest. It also gives your sports budget a much-needed breather.
While you will still need to condition for soccer in the offseason, the costs associated with that conditioning can be quite minimal.
Athletes have options that they can do in the comfort of their own homes that will maintain the required level of fitness and ensure that they are in the best condition possible for the upcoming season.
