Continuing During Corona! Ten Things Players, Athletes and Sporting Kids Can Do While Training And Playing Are Cancelled.

Continuing During Corona! Ten Things Players, Athletes and Sporting Kids Can Do While Training And Playing Are Cancelled.

By Wayne Goldsmith

OK. So you Can't Train, You Can't Play but.....there’s a lot of things you can do to stay sports-ready while things seem to feel a bit crazy right now:

1. Work on mental skills like relaxation and mindfulness. Download an app like CALM https://www.calm.com/ and learn how to meditate, to improve the quality of your sleep and to improve your mental health and emotional well-being.

2. Work on "home-based" strength training - push ups, sit ups, planks etc. Grab some strong furniture and do pull ups, dips, do core work etc. See Chris Hemsworth’s (THOR) one minute body-weight training routine for some ideas to get you started https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6sBjfwkYM7k There is no limit to what you can do with a floor, a bit of furniture and some imagination!

3. Watch videos on technique and skill development and learn some new things about the skills and techniques of your sport. Watch the last World Championships. Check out a few games from last year’s Finals series. Google “How can I improve my passing or kicking or speed or backhand” etc. etc. Spend time watching and observing the best performers in your sport and learn from them.

4. Work on flexibility, stability and mobility - stretching, yoga, etc. There’s a lot of free and engaging Yoga videos on line for example, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VaoV1PrYft4. Start with simple, easy, basic yoga, working within your limits and in a few days, you’ll feel great.

5. Study and research what the best in your sport do! Search information about the training habits of the best in the world in your sport. Learn about the current world standards and world records. Find out what type of skills practices the best are doing. Become a student of your sport!

6. Work on your diet! Learn how to shop for and cook healthy nutritious food. Maybe even learn some basic, healthy, nutritious recipes, look into effective hydration strategies etc. Learn how to prepare and cook basic meals on the road, e.g. learn how to cook healthy, nutritious meals using only a microwave and a kettle as you might find in a hotel room at a national championships or away game.

7. Clean, repair, replace your sports equipment. Get it ready and in tip-top condition for when training and competition start again.

8. Start an online discussion group with team-mates and support each other, inspire each other. You’re all in the same boat! Why not start every morning and end every day with an online chat with your team-mates and inspire each other to keep training, to stay well and to feel connected with and supported by each other.

9. Keep fit! Do things that keep you healthy and fit. It’s great for your immune system. Do things that are outdoors, in the open spaces - e.g. running, cycling, mountain biking, walking, climbing, playing with your dog etc. where you can keep your commitment to “social-distancing” but still work on your fitness.

10. Do some pre-hab - i.e. work on minimizing the risk of future injuries by doing pre-hab exercises.

Sure, you’d prefer to be training and playing with your friends and team-mates. Who wouldn’t?

But in the meantime, you can do a lot of positive and enjoyable things to help you not just be ready to return to your sport, but to come back to your team capable of practicing and performing EVEN BETTER THAN EVER!

Stay well everyone!

Wayne Goldsmith

Check out more of Wayne’s work at https://wgcoaching.com/

Watch some interesting videos on Sport, Coaching, Sports Parenting and other topics https://www.youtube.com/wgcoaching and

Listen to Wayne’s Podcasts – SPORTS THOUGHTS https://podcasts.apple.com/…/p…/sports-thoughts/id1451687616

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Photo by Sydney Rae on Unsplash