It is very important for the athletes to religiously follow a well planned out fitness program during the off-season. This will improve their physical strength and boost performance. By following off-season fitness progress a player becomes less prone to injuries. The off season fitness program could be continued during on-season too.

The physical fitness of an athlete is not only limited to a strong body, but it also needs optimal physical functioning. Such high level of physical fitness is possible with a great degree of synchronized tuning of Nero -muscular-skeletal system. Motor skill related fitness is achieved by practicing the set of programs mentioned below.

  • PLYOMETRICS
  • BALANCE - AGILITY
  • POWER - STRENGTH
  • ENDURANCE
  • FLEXIBILITY
  • WARM UP & COOLING DOWN


WARM UP & COOLING DOWN PROGRAM
General warm up :( 10-15 minutes)
Jogging, skipping, static cycling, elliptical trainer etc.......

MOBILITY Exercise:

Neck rotation, Shoulder swinging, Shoulder circles, Wrist rotation, Trunk flexion, extension, Rotation, Hip rotation, Knee flexion, extension, Foot circles, Static jumping.

Stretching Exercises :

(Hold each stretch for 10-15 sec) Shoulder capsule stretch, Sleep stretch, Biceps, triceps stretch, Forearm-flexor, extensor stretch, Trunk-side stretch, Chest stretch, Upper, lower back stretch, Hip flexors, abductors, adductors, Glutei stretch, Leg-quadriceps, hamstring stretch, Calf muscles stretch.

COOL DOWN PERIOD :( 20MINUTES)
Slow jogging

Mobility exercises
Static stretching -hold the stretch for 20-30seconds.

SPORTS SPECIFIC WARM-UP

Mimic the action of the particular sport several times.

FLEXIBILITY TRAINING AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES:

Flexibility is the ability of a joint to move freely through the full range of motion. by increasing the joint range, the specific muscles around the joint progressively stretch.
Static Stretching: Slow sustained stretching gradually lengthens the muscle through the joint's complete range of motion. This causes the muscle to relax and hence greater length can be achieved.

RELAXATION IS OF GREAT IMPORTANCE TO ANY ATHLETE STRIVING FOR PEAK PERFORMANCE.

Relaxation skills can help athletes reduce mental (doubts, worry, etc) and physical anxiety (nausea, shaking etc), while increasing concentration and performance. Relaxation techniques can be used prior to competition or, if practiced enough, during competition. Breath controlled relaxation and blank meditation are some of the common techniques.

ENDURANCE TRAINING:

The aim of endurance training is an athlete is to improve the functional capacity to the maximum for optimal performance. Endurance training works on the principle of over-loading the physiological system of the body. When an athlete is made to rigorously perform under a target much greater than the expected one, it will become easier for him/her to perform during the actual event and achieve the set target without much strain.

STRENGTH TRAINING
To improve strength, the principle of over loading the muscle through properly graded progressive resisted exercise is the rule of thump. it is achieved through these major modes of exercises:
-Bench press: Mainly strengthens deltoid, triceps, and pectoral muscles.

-Half-squats: For quadriceps, glutei, and trunk extensors. - Leg press: co-contraction of quadriceps and hamstring -Lunges: Strengthens hip flexors, glutei quadriceps and leg muscles.

-Power clean: For strengthening the body's major muscles groups (upper extremity, lower extremity, trunk). Power clean is important to improve speed, co-ordination, timing, balance as well as explosive power.

-Power training: Power is a vital ingredient in the game, and coaches are constantly in search of ways to improve power. Power training elicits physiological adaptations in the body. Sports power is best improved by performing strength training movements that 'mimic' sports skills. These movements are ballistic in nature (performed at a high velocity) and rely heavily on the involvement of momentum. A few examples are power clean, snatch and push press or push jerk.

AGILITY TRAINING:
It develops balance, co-ordination and mobility at a faster pace.
Rope jumping
-combination of forward and backward running
-Zing sag running
-Figure of eight
-Two leg hop, one leg hop
-Carioca

BALANCE TRAINING:

Balance training improves the stability and stimulates the proprioceptors in the joint. This training is done on balance board and mini trampoline. Balance board consists of unidirectional and multidirectional. Exercises include balancing on various positions, initially on both legs and then on one leg. Position may be maintained with eyes open and closed which further influence proprioception.


PLYOMETRICS

It is a important component of sudden out burst of explosive power. It requires the neuromuscular system to react quickly and at the same time forcefully during stretch shortening actions. The exercises must be done at a fast pace with sudden burst of energy.