Playing sports is beneficial for health; however, it is convenient to have a previous preparation to start in any of them. From our online sportswear store we will explain how to get in shape to practice football.
Equipment to get in shape
Before starting to train, it is necessary to have the necessary equipment to avoid injuries and be safe. The equipment you need will depend on the type of soccer physical training routine you decide on.
Our recommendations are:
- Always wear comfortable and loose clothing that allows you to have better movement.
- Always carry water to hydrate yourself.
- If you’re going to do resistance or strength training, make sure you’re wearing the right running shoes.
- If you practice on the soccer field, bring your player equipment.
How to get fit for soccer
Sports can be very demanding, in addition, we can find different variants of soccer. For everyone it is important to be in shape to be able to perform in the best possible way. If practiced regularly and trained strictly, the results can be incredible.
In this post we will give you a guide that will help you have better performance and excellent physical condition.
Warm up and stretch the muscles
Before starting any sports training it is necessary to warm up, this helps the body to be prepared for physical activity. Failure to heat can cause injury.
You can run in place, do squats, sit-ups, or some dynamic stretches to get started. You want to make sure your warm-up is vigorous enough that your muscles are relaxed.
To this you must add a good stretching session. Make sure you do it with your whole body, feet, legs, arms, ankles, wrists, shoulders, back, and neck. Not stretching the body properly can cause sprains.
Practice ball control
ball control
Ball control practice should be included in a training plan for soccer players. The recommendation is to do this for 10 or 15 minutes at the beginning and end of your exercise session, these help to have better coordination and focus.
For these cases it is important to buy soccer boots, since they are the ones you will work on the field. Start with exercises like dribbling, auto passes, and pull-ups.
Build power and endurance
To improve physical condition you can run. Rushing won’t help you at all, you should go at a steady, moderate pace to the point where you feel a bit tired. You can alternate about 3 minutes to run with another 2 to rest, and repeat this several times.
You will see that over time you will have better resistance in soccer. Developing speed is also important so once you gain stamina you have to work on it. Measure the distances, practicing near your community can give you an idea of how much you have advanced. Use venues or buildings as a reference of where you came from.
Do strength training
Although agility and endurance are important, you can’t forget about strength. You should add exercises to your routine on a regular basis to develop it. If you want to train at home you can do push-ups, air squats and lunges.
If you have access to some type of weights you can also use them; however, the recommendation is that to gain strength it is necessary that the intensity be high and the repetitions low. If you are not used to it, you should start little by little. Overloading yourself can hurt you, so it’s important to be aware of how much weight you can bear.
It is also important to exercise the core, as these are what help you stop, change direction or kick. The ideal is to train this part of the body twice a week. With squats, abdominals or bicycle you can do it.
Strengthen your knees
The knees are also an important part of a physical training routine for soccer.
To strengthen them you can stand on the ground on one foot, then raise your knee to about hip level. Gently lower the foot that is raised while you raise the other. Do several repetitions until you get used to it.
This exercise is basic and you can also use it as a warm-up. This will help lift your knees much higher when running and that prevents you from tripping.
Improve your agilityImprove agility
You can noticeably improve with an agility ladder. Stretch it out on the ground, make sure it is as flat as possible. Start running back and forth using the footwork patterns.
It is best to only step on the spaces between the divisions. This exercise requires a lot of concentration and also that your feet must be placed in a specific and precise way.
Another way to use the agility ladder is to do hopscotch jumps or run sideways on it and alternate steps. You can perform rounds alternating with other exercises and create your own circuit.
Free throw practice
Finish off your workouts with free throw practice. Make sure you always wear the right shoes for it. Like, for example, the Nike premier II FG football boots, which have a stabilizer plate.
Wait to cool down a bit after training and take some free kicks from different angles. One thing that can help you is to try to simulate some of the conditions you would be in a real game.
Knowing how to kick is one of the fundamental skills in this sport, so it is impossible to replace this exercise with another. You can also improve your accuracy by practicing with a small target.
It is recommended that you spend 30 minutes on each leg, if you learn to kick with both, you will be much more versatile.
Tips when exercising
- Set your routine well and be consistent.
- Record your times when running so that you can see the improvements gradually.
- If you did not do any previous training, it is best to start slowly so as not to hurt yourself.
When you want to play a sport, you must understand that it requires preparation. Knowing how to get in shape to practice soccer is a task that requires time and perseverance. It is important that you follow all possible safety measures to avoid injury.