When training and playing games your body suffers from damage which is why we talk so much about recovery.

 

As humans our bodies are designed to walk, run, crawl, jump, climb & sprint. All necessary movements relating back to when we were hunter, gatherers who moved around barefoot & had to adapt to the surroundings.

 

 

The fact is, as players we now ask a lot of our bodies. 90 minutes (sometimes more) of sprinting, changing direction, wrestling, jumping, kicking and all other football actions place a lot of strain on our body.

 

 

We come into contact with a lot of players throughout the season many of which will be eager to discuss general aches and pains and tightness that they experience throughout their body.

 

Most common advice we dish out to players is how to handle this tightness and soreness throughout the season.

 

The truth to this being it’s extremely unlikely that you will experience a full season where you do not feel some sort of discomfort whether it be an injury, tightness or soreness.

 

Once you accept this as a player and you accept the extreme loads we put in our body under week in week out you have to start to learn how to look after your body on a daily and weekly basis.

 

This may include daily work on areas that may feel tight or restricted, it may also include specific individualised recovery protocols.

 

When speaking to players there will be many different approaches taken in order to recover but you have to find the one that works for you. This may and probably will, be slightly different to the players that sit next to you in the changing room.

 

The significance to this is that the players that are able to recover and prepare for games and performances at a high-level week in and week out will have found a balance and approach to preparation that works for them.

 

This is the key!

 

Going the extra yard does not have to include running miles on the roads to build a aerobic fitness, it also doesn’t have to include lifting ridiculously heavy weights or being in the gym 4 to 5 times a week.

 

What you are best spending your time on is finding nutritional and recovery approaches that work for you.

 

Spending an extra 3 to 5 minutes a day improving ankle mobility or hip mobility may be essential to maintaining high levels of performance throughout the season.

 

This time may also be spent Investigating what nutritional approach on meals and help to provide you with the most amount of energy for games.

 

These are areas of physical preparation that we still see players missing out on which can be extremely beneficial.

 

The next time you experience aches, pains or areas of soreness use them as opportunities to learn how to correct and deal with them as this can be the difference to a successful season.

 

For advice or any questions to follow up on this blog please contact mail@footballfitfed.com

 

Ben

Football Fitness Federation