Off-Season Training

The success of an athlete’s season is largely determined through the preparation that is done during the off-season.  This work done during this phase is the base for an athlete’s future success.  You can’t build the second floor of a house before making sure the foundation is as strong as it can be, this is the first step towards a productive season. 

The off-season doesn’t only mean working harder – more hours does not mean more success if the proper program isn’t in place.  A proper off-season program should address the following:

•           Assessment of fundamental movement patterns: If an athlete cannot perform basic movements due to mobility or stability issues, the athlete has a big cap on athletic potential.  Good movement is the foundation for optimal athletic success.
•          Addressing areas of limited mobility: The more we sit as a society the more ‘tight’ muscles we develop.  These mobility limitations prevent the body from moving as it is designed to
•          Addressing common strength and stability limitations: When the mobility limitations are coupled with strength limitations, an athlete’s performance will greatly suffer until these are resolved. The combination of mobility and stability limitations result in large decreases of power output, speed, and put athletes at a higher risk to be sidelined from injury.
•          Proper progression: It is important that an off-season program does not progress too quickly or too slowly, as these can both limit progress made during the off-season and increase the risk of injury.
•          Preparing the body for the demands of a specific sport: There is no one size fits all approach for training.  Each sport has different physical requirements, so each sport should not be trained the same way.

Does your off-season training program address each of these key areas?  For more information on how this would be customized for your team’s needs, contact TheraCORE about our off-season training plans run by physical therapists.  Put the time in now to set yourself up for success later.

- Dave Paczkoski, PT, DPT

TheraCORE Locations

Inside the Five Seasons Sports Club

6901 S. Madison

Burr Ridge, IL 60527

(630) 590-5409

16622 W. 159th St., Ste. 503

Lockport, IL 60441

(815) 838-5070

350 E. Ogden Ave., Ste. 200

Westmont, IL 60559

(630) 908-7430

www.theracorept.com

https://youtu.be/Uw09QuIu7GY

Sorry in advance to all the teachers and students out there for bringing this up, but it’s that time of the year to be getting ready for another exciting school year.  Don’t wait for New Year’s to make a resolution, aim to make this school year the start of the best you that you can be.  While being off in the summer has its obvious advantages (like not being in school), the structure of a school day can offer an excellent opportunity to take advantage of:

Structure-Unlike the summer, the school day offers structure that can be beneficial to changing a desired habit or reaching a new goal.  During the summer, there is plenty of freedom to get up when you please and the next item on the ‘to do’ list typically follows the dreaded eventually. The school days offer a structure that is fairly predictable.  Time spent in school, outside activities, and athletics already have times blocked ahead of time-no surprises. Pick any goal or habit that you wish to change, whether it is health, emotional, spiritual, etc. Be sure to focus on only one at a time (a morning walk, daily stretching, or preparing healthy meals are all good starts!).  Block time in your day for this, it needs to be structured into your day just as any other activity that needs to be completed.  Regardless of your goal, establish a set time to get this done and stick with it, make it a top priority!  Developing a routine right before school or right when you get home is a great starting point if you’re unsure of when it could fit into the day.  Big goals can be reached by setting aside 10 minutes each day!

If you have been trying to achieve a health or fitness goal and these are already habits you participate in regularly, contact us to see how we can help get you towards your goals!

- Dave Paczkowski PT, DPT
www.theracorept.com

TheraCORE Physical Therapy

Five Seasons Family Sports Club

6901 S. Madison

Burr Ridge, IL 6027

(630)590-5409

16622 W. 159th St., Ste. 503

Lockport, IL 60441

(815)838-5070

350 E. Ogden Ave., Ste. 200

Westmont, IL 60559

(630)908-7430

 

                                                             

With all the heart shaped goodies and signs around on Valentine’s Day, we are served an important reminder to take an active role in keeping our hearts healthy.  There is little argument on the importance of a healthy heart, however developing strategies to meet this goal can be more difficult.  Proper nutrition and activity levels are both key components in keeping your heart working its best.  Nutritional recommendations are very individualized and vary based on age, weight, current eating habits, and other medical conditions.  If you have specific questions regarding nutritional recommendations do not hesitate to contact our dietician to discuss an individualized plan of action.  When planning to achieve proper activity levels, it is important to remember that keeping your heart healthy does not require hours at a gym and can be achieved through simple lifestyle changes.  Although Midwest weather makes it more difficult to be active outside during these winter months, there are plenty of ways to stay active without having to battle the outdoor elements.  The majority of us have the destructive habit of sitting way too much.  One of the best ways to avoid this and maintain a healthy heart, without even having to touch a machine, is by walking more.  There are plenty of devices out there for counting steps taken throughout the day to monitor how many you are taking which can be a great way to track progress.  If you choose this option, there is no magic number of steps to aim for.  Pick a goal number, and once you are able to achieve that every day for a week or two try increasing the goal.  Although it’s easy to take a walk outside or at the park in the summer months, going to a local mall or store and taking laps around are other options to increase steps while staying warm if you do not belong to a gym.  Other ways to increase activity can be performed in the comfort of your own home.  Make it a habit whenever you’re watching TV to stand-up at each commercial and take a lap around the house, go up and down the stairs once or twice, or perform 5-10 squats.  This option is only limited by your own creativity so find something that fits you!

There are also plenty of other alternatives to conventional exercise that do not involve staring at the calorie counter on cardio machines and wondering why the time seems to be standing still.  People that prefer exercise classes and a group atmosphere would benefit from a course such as Yoga or Pilates.  The benefits of these can address heart health, but also go above and beyond by addressing strength, mobility, balance, and body awareness as well.  If aches and pains are preventing you from exercising, please stop in for a complimentary injury screening to address any physical limitations that are preventing you from reaching your target activity levels.  Whatever way you decide to be more active, make sure you have a plan to achieve your goals and get started right now! 

Happy hearts day to all,

Dave Paczkowski, PT, DPT


                                                               TheraCORE Clinic Locations


                   350 E. Ogden Ave., Ste. 200                                         16622 W. 159th St., Ste. 503
                         Westmont, IL 60559                                                         Lockport, IL 60441
                              (630)908-7430                                                                (815)838-5070


                                                                    www.theracorept.com


                                                 

                                               http://youtu.be/Uw09QuIu7GY