Maintaining your fitness and physical health is key for any Touch Footballer heading into a new season. Having an organised plan and working on your nutrition, skills, control, and overall fitness will help you perform your best on the field, and feel better off the field, as you approach your recovery and preparation with the right care.
THE IMPORTANCE OF TRAINING AND PREPARATION
Combining improved nutrition and a consistent physical activity and training schedule are key components towards performing your best ahead of your next Touch Football season. A regular training schedule can build your foundations, skills, and endurance to improve overall fitness levels.
Proper preparation can help you with:
- Starting your season at your very best, so initial games don’t feel as difficult
- Ensures you have the energy and flexibility from the get-go
- Giving you time to work on your weaknesses and improve your skills
- Preventing injuries and working on rehabilitation if needed
Your training should be set with goals of what you want to work on whether that’s fitness and endurance, skills, or teamplay and strategies – and sticking to it!
Also ensure that rest is incorporated into your routine to allow for recovery and for your body to perform at its best, alongside mental rest.
THE IMPORTANCE OF PHYSICAL ACTIVITY AND HEALTH
There are many reasons why someone wouldn’t be able to remain active in both an off-season and during a regular season, including not having enough time, recurring injury or lack of motivation.
However, it’s important to maintain your fitness in your Touch pre-season and preparation, with Better Health recommending 60 minutes of physical activity per day for youth growth and development, and between 2.5 to 5 hours per week for adults including strength training to reduce the risk of injury.
Regular training and physical activity during your Touch Football season, and in preparation for it, can help you with:
- Improved flexibility and mobility
- Improved coordination and balance
- Strengthened muscles and joints
- Stabilised blood pressure and cholesterol
- Weight maintenance
- Improved state of mind
- Injury rehabilitation
- An opportunity to meet new people and have fun!
AUSTRALIAN SPORTS COMMISSION: PHYSICAL FRAMEWORK
The Australian Sports Commission’s (ASC) Framework on the Physical Domain guides athletes and active individuals of all levels to progress their skills to enjoy lifelong participation in their sport of choice.
Incorporating these movements into your fitness and training routine can help you navigate different scenarios ahead of your next Touch season:
- Movement skills e.g. running, jumping, dodging, diving
- Moving with equipment e.g. riding a bike, rowing, skating
- Object manipulation e.g. throwing and catching a football
- Coordination e.g. dancing and skipping
- Stability/balance e.g. standing on one foot or balancing while moving
- Flexibility e.g. stretching, yoga, gymnastics
- Agility e.g. changing direction when running, dodging and evading
- Strength e.g. push-ups, lifting weights
- Muscular endurance e.g. Pilates, sit-ups, rock climbing
- Cardiovascular endurance e.g. running, extended walking
- Reaction time e.g. reacting to movement, reacting to sound, reacting to performing a skill
- Speed e.g. sprinting, moving quickly to catch a football
AUSTRALIAN INSTITUTE OF SPORT: NUTRITION GUIDE
The Australian Institute of Sport (AIS) provides guides to nutrition and well-planned eating practices to help athletes of all levels maintain their health and fitness, stay injury-free, and perform at their best.
The AIS has a comprehensive nutrition guide to assist athletes of all levels with their individual health and performance, with education available to all aspiring Touch Footballers regarding:
- Recipes: ranging from simple smoothies, breakfast ideas, meal preparation for lunch and dinner, and desserts! Read through hundreds of recipe ideas for nutritious and tasty recipes that can be prepared by anyone.
- Ideal supplements: supplements play a key role in performance and health, and there are many frameworks behind what is considered safe and effective.
- Energy information: training consistently has an increased effect on your energy levels, so it’s important to stay fuelled and be on the lookout for symptoms that you may be feeling low.
- Performance modules: for extended education, access the AIS online platform and complete modules related to nutrition and how it optimises your health and performance, including fundamentals and nutrition plans.
