Winter training tips

‘Tis the season to be jolly off the field, and to put the hard yards into making sure that you hit the 2018 Touch season ready and raring to go!

No, this isn’t a contradiction, because you can both enjoy the festive season while also remembering some core tips to underpin your winter training programme.

The off-season is about body maintenance, reviewing previous and current injuries with a focus on conditioning and injury prevention programmes. It is also important to make sure you get adequate rest between sessions to allow for your body to recover fully – after all, there is no point getting injured at this time of year if this means that you are then not ready for the competitions when they begin in the spring!

Injury

1) Understand your body and know where you are in terms of your training programme. If you have been taking time off after the end of the 2017 season do not just go straight into where you left off; rather build up to where you were over time

2) Take some time to understand what has caused your previous injuries. That way you can focus during the winter off-season on rehabilitation to minimise their recurrence in the new year

3) Make sure you consult a trusted local physiotherapist for a programme to help you achieve the above

4) Prepare properly for training, starting a session with a good warm-up and stretch

Strength and Conditioning

1) Maintain aerobic fitness and tailor your training to the specific needs of Touch, such as intensive intervals to build up your body’s recovery abilities

2) Develop a good baseline of strength

3) Expend sufficient energy to maintain or even slightly improve your body composition

4) You need to give your body time to adapt to training stimuli

Nutrition

1) Prioritise ‘real foods’ over supplements or other

2) Make sure you are consuming sufficient carbohydrates and proteins before and after training

3) Have a good idea of your nutritional intake, such as the number of kcals you are consuming, and adjust according to your training programme

And make sure you enjoy yourselves!