Physical therapy can help you make the most of your downtime
As an athlete, how do you typically spend your off-season? If you’re not maintaining a regular strength and conditioning program, you may be setting yourself up for injury when your sport kicks off again. At The Fitness LAB, our physical therapists will help you develop an off-season training program to help you play your best.
When off-season hits, many athletes feel at a loss, unsure how to approach their workouts without the structure of a sports-specific training schedule. You want to stay active but aren’t sure what activities would be the best use of your time. Or maybe you aren’t sure how to balance rest and recovery with a dedicated training program.
The physical therapists at The Fitness LAB are here to help you get moving during your off months. An off-season training program will help you reduce your risk of injury, maintain strength, mobility, and endurance, and work on problem areas.
If you want to get started with off-season training, schedule an appointment with The Fitness LAB in one of our Colorado locations today!
Why off-season training is important
One of the most significant benefits of off-season training for athletes is that it helps prevent injury. When you participate in a sport, whether it’s football, basketball, running, or something else, you’re performing the same movements over and over, increasing your chance of developing an overuse injury.
Overuse injuries are a type of injury caused by repeated micro-trauma rather than a single major trauma. They can lead to pain and long recovery times during which you’ll have to sit out on the sidelines. Off-season training can help minimize your chances of developing an overuse injury by allowing you to work muscles and joints neglected during your in-season training, essentially “balancing out” your body.
In addition to helping prevent overuse injuries, off-season training lets you focus on other areas of fitness that might be lacking. For example, it’s a great time to work on dedicated strength training, improving your cardiovascular endurance, or increasing your flexibility–areas you might not have time to work on while training for your sport.
How physical therapy can help you maximize your off-season
The physical therapists at The Fitness LAB are movement and musculoskeletal systems experts. They can help you better understand what specific areas you might be deficient in and ensure you’re performing sports-necessary movements correctly.
For example, if you’re a basketball or baseball player–two sports that involve a great deal of running–you’ll likely benefit from dedicated strength training to help improve your speed and endurance. If you’re a powerlifter, you may want to spend your off-season focused on increasing mobility or cardiovascular endurance. No matter your sport, our team of experts can guide you on what crosstraining activities will work best for you.
The physical therapists at The Fitness LAB can also carefully examine your gait, posture, and sports-related movements to ensure you haven’t developed bad habits. If they do find any imbalances or weak areas, they can provide you with exercises designed to target those weaknesses.
For example, we can perform a running gait assessment to help us evaluate if your muscles, joints, and skeletal structure are all in proper alignment when you run. If something is off, it could lead to injury in the future. Fortunately, the off-season is the perfect time to focus on repairing dysfunctional movements before an injury occurs. Our therapists have a variety of techniques at their disposal, from biofeedback to hands-on joint manipulations, to help correct these issues.
Finally, our physical therapists can help you develop a structured workout plan. You’re used to daily, highly structured training routines as an athlete, and the off-season might feel like it affords you too much freedom. Our therapists can provide a balanced training program that covers your specific needs while ensuring you do any new-to-you exercises correctly.
Schedule an appointment with The Fitness LAB today!
At The Fitness LAB, our therapists will work with you to develop a detailed, customized off-season training program designed to improve performance during the on-season.
If you want to reduce your risk of injury–and dramatically improve your overall game–schedule an appointment with The Fitness LAB today!
