What netballers can do in the off-season to stay on the ball
Photo courtesy of Keith Williamson via Flickr.com
With so many summer leagues and tournaments to play in and netball tours to go on, for many of us it’s possible to play netball virtually all year round with hardly any break at all. This may suit you, especially if you’re still young, springy, nothing hurts yet and you don’t know any better.
Do yourself a favour and take a break from netball to give your mind and body a rest. You don’t want to risk becoming bored with your favourite sport. Notice I say a break from netball not from being active; no reason not to keep your fitness levels up. Participate in other sporting activities that test your mind and body in other ways (playing Wii Fit games does not count!)
For instance, I’ve decided not to play in any summer leagues this season to give my knees a rest (although I have said I will fill in if my club are desperate) but I’m keeping up with my weekly yoga and boxercise classes. Yoga is fantastic for strengthening and toning your whole body and I would highly recommend it. The boxercise class is a pretty intense session of boxing and circuit training and you box with both women AND men which is very challenging. I’ll also do some cycling and I have good intentions to add in some running and possibly some simple weight training…that’s the plan, anyway.
It probably won’t be long before your pre-season training starts so all the more reason to make the most of your time away from netball. But don’t go to the other extreme either and end up doing nothing; avoid spending the whole summer partying non-stop, eating junk and not getting enough sleep. Unless of course you’re still young, springy, nothing hurts yet and you don’t know any better.
What do you do in the off-season to make sure you’re fresh and raring to go for the next season? Please leave a comment or share any tips you may have.
