With Arizona school opening – and with it Fall sports – being delayed until mid-August, student athletes might be excited about the extra time they just gained to hang out with friends and relax. While some downtime and recovery is healthy, taking the next six weeks off could cost you when it’s time to hit the field again. Stay on top of your sport with these pro tips.

Create a Schedule – and Stick to it

A well developed routine quickly becomes habit. It is critical that you develop a routine that promotes health and movement. Your schedule should be developed to promote your ability to work hard, recover, eat well and regularly, and get enough sleep to get back at it the following day. If your coach has provided you daily workouts, to be completed at home, you will be most successful if you dedicate a consistent time of day to getting them done. If you are not a morning person, find a time in the early afternoon that you can consistently dedicate to sport specific training. The remainder of your day should well-rounded and productive Think less video games and more engagement of your mind – study film of professional athletes in your sport, check out some online strength or flexibility videos, read a book, explore a new hobby. Be sure to include recovery time and naps to keep you on top of your game.

Keep up With Your Training

It’s okay to take a day off during the week, but don’t let your strength and endurance slip by taking extra time off. It is easy to think that one more day isn’t going to hurt anything, until one more day becomes two and you suddenly find yourself scrambling to get try to find fitness in the days leading up to that first practice back. The return to sport will be here before you know it and taking too much time off now will show when you hit the field again.

Take Care of Your Body

If you are banged up or have any nagging injuries, now is the time to get them addressed. Our teams at Spooner Physical Therapy and the Fischer Institute are seeing patients in-clinic, in-home and via telehealth. Now is the time to get on the schedule! You can do that here.

Runners – Check out our pro tips and best practices for a healthy race season!

Get Your Zzzzs

Recovery time is just as important as working out. Student athletes should average about 8 to 10 hours of sleep per night. Stick to a good sleep schedule which includes a consistent time for hitting the sheets and a consistent wake time. Don’t sleep the day away – as easy as that might be right now. Stick to your schedule but if you get tired a power nap can help your body recover after heavy intervals or an intense workout. The most ideal time for a nap about 2 hours after a workout, and you should only be shutting down for 20 to 30 minutes. This quick nap will help kick your body into recovery mode and better prepare you for tomorrow’s workout.

Check out our podcast, featuring some of the best sports medicine minds in the valley. Trent Rincon, PT, MPT, CSCS, DN, Cert ASTYM, of the Fischer Institute, a division of Spooner Physical Therapy, and Jennifer Lee, PT, DPT, FAFS.  Together the three discuss the last two vital components of recovery: sleep and tech tools in the bag!

Fuel – Proper Nutrition

Focus on ensuring that you are eating balanced meals with a source of protein, fiber (fruit, vegetable) and fat. This will improve blood sugar stabilization and improve concentration and energy levels for training sessions. Check out these helpful tips for fueling and educating your youth athletefrom Team USA and Nutritionist Bob Seebohar. If you feel the urge for a less nutritious treat, make sure to do so in moderation.

Stay in Contact with Your Coach

Communication with and from your coach should be almost daily over the next four weeks. When we return to sport on August 17th it is going to be go-time! Seasons will most likely be shortened to allow for Winter sports to start on time. So, the time from your first practice to game day is going to be a quick turn. Communication with your coach to stay motivated and make sure you are hitting your workouts is critical. Ask questions, show you are engaged and fight for your spot on the roster.

Do you want to return ready to blow away the competition?  Schedule an appointment with a member of the Spooner team.