You take your sport seriously (even though it's not your full-time job). You train, eat, sleep and compete just as diligently as if you were a professional.
But what happens when the season is over? You'll already have one eye on the 2016 season, and want to improve your fitness, skills and strength during the off-season.
But off-season is also a great opportunity to reignite your social life, connect with people who aren't part of your sporting life, and fill your diary with things other than training sessions, matches and competitions.
The solution? Start doing some of your weekly exercise sessions with friends and family members. You’ll benefit from keeping up your fitness levels (and challenging your body with different types of training) whilst they get to work-out with someone inspiring and motivating, and someone who they feel comfortable around.
Long Walks/Hikes
You probably already know how beneficial long walks are to people who train hard. It's a way of staying active and moving your whole body without battering it with hard training. And walking outside is great for the mind, too, helping you come to terms with the end of your competitive season and easing you back into the joys of everyday life. Take your partner, children, friend or dog and enjoy the great outdoors.
Bootcamp Classes
Doing a weekly bootcamp-style class with a friend or relative will be a great way to combine sunshine, outdoor fitness and the fun of social fitness with a good full-body workout, which will gently challenge your off-season body. Your fitness buddy will probably find the class a significant challenge (both physically and to their comfort zone), whilst you'll be able to scale the workouts up or down to suit how you're feeling now sports season is over.
Hill Sprints
If you've got a fairly fit friend or relative, why not meet up once or twice a week to run hill sprints? You already know how beneficial hill reps are to your cardiovascular fitness, calorie burn, body composition and EPOC. Introduce your friend to hill sprints and show them just how much can be achieved in a 20 minute session.
Swimming Sessions
Swimming is a great form of training to do in your off-season: low impact, full-body, and very unlikely to cause any injury or imbalance which will affect your main sport. Arrange to meet up with friends, family members or the youngsters in your family and combine a social outing with a good workout for yourself.
A Charity Challenge
Why not choose a local charity challenge like a bike ride or 5km run and train for it as a family? It will help you stay fit, without alienating you from your nearest and dearest just as they welcome you back from a demanding sports training regime. And you'll be raising funds and awareness for a good cause, too!
So there’s no need to dwell on the end of sports season; it’s the perfect time to mix up your exercise routine without having to take it too seriously. Have some fun whilst you can!
Want to do something more challenging? Why not take a course to become a Personal Trainer with The Training Room.