Hey everyone, Hannah here again.  I thought I’d put a blog together to give people the idea on how we can help out with training and getting your body fully prepared for your training or sport.  You might not know, but I’m a very passionate and competitive Soccer player, among the other fitness things I do.  For this reason, I love to treat sporty people, especially when I can help them with injury prevention, performance enhancement, or simply repairing activity injuries from their sport.

When I was a younger Soccer player, I know that I dreaded the fitness sessions during the week and 100% would rather be at technical training or friendly matches, than doing sprinting drills. The thing is, is that fitness and strength training are essential for a great season, not only injury-free but to help you perform better! Who doesn’t want that?!

In the past, what my ‘fitness’ soccer training sessions were lacking was the strength component. We did cone drills, sprints and general fitness but not much focus on strength. When I’m helping some rehab an injury, I look at double leg and single leg stability, strength, control and power – so these things should be addressed in prehab (prevention), as well! We’re training strength in a controlled manner so that when our body has to handle the unpredictability of a game situation, it will be able to meet the demand of what we are asking from our muscles. So that in a game, that fatigue hits later and your body doesn’t automatically resort to recruiting absolutely every muscle to keep you going.

For me, in-season strength training can include exercises like:

  • Bulgarian split squats
  • Deadlifts or RDLs
  • Single leg RDLs
  • Pistol squats or a variation
  • Hamstring Nordics or hamstring curls
  • Hip thrusts
  • Front lunges and lateral lunges

Don’t forget about the rest of the body!

  • Chin ups
  • Inverted rows or bent over rows
  • Anti-rotation exercises – palloff press, single arm farmer’s carries
  • Push ups

For recovery and mobility, I like to do a mix of a yoga flow / animal flow which is basically whatever feels good to my body at the moment! This can include headstands, cat-cows, bird dogs, child’s pose, Jefferson curls and the like! Throw in a trigger ball, and I get all the best spots in the glutes and shoulders that need it.

Ensuring I incorporate all of the stuff above helps how I feel after games – that girl that tired to knock me off the ball, couldn’t because I had a strong base and core. That pass I anticipated and got into a quick side lunge, much easier when the glutes are helping to push me off. That right hip flexor that always tries to take over when I fatigue, didn’t!

Here at Barefoot, we’ll get you moving your best so that these exercises can be done efficiently and purposeful. I can even help to write a program like this for you or we’re able to refer you to one of our trusted ex phys or PT’s!