Have you been getting absorbed by the talent on display in the World Cup in Rio? Have you considered playing football yourself?
If you are struggling with your summer diet or your fitness regime has slipped recently, football could be your route back to optimum health. In fact, now is the best time to be thinking about getting involved in the beautiful game as many clubs will be preparing for pre-season training in July and August. Even if you have no aspirations about securing a place in the team, training itself provides a structured way to gain strength and burn calories.
Whether you do join a club or decide to hone your fitness at the local park first, it is important to warm up beforehand. There’s nothing worse for your fitness aspirations than picking up an injury and being unable to work out at all. There are various warm up routines you could follow, but a mixture of running and static and dynamic stretches should be included, making sure every area of your body, from neck to toes, are involved.
Football involves a lot of running, at various paces, which is great for slimming. Regularly running for 90 minutes (the length of a football match), with periods of sprinting, combined with nutritional calorie control is a great way to achieve lasting health. It is particularly suited to those of us who are motivated by attaining a goal at the end of our training – literally! Indoor football can be especially effective and is usually more loosely organised than a standard football team. The ball doesn’t really go out of play in an indoor match which means an hour or more of non-stop running, great for burning up those calories. Finally, football is also a great way to improve your flexibility, agility, balance and co-ordination as you improve your skills with the ball.
As always, the best summer diet, in terms of health and calorie control, is one that involves regular, cardio-vascular exercise, some weight-bearing activity and a healthy, balanced food intake. Although diet supplements should never be used as a replacement for food, you may also find it useful to consider some diet supplements as part of your summer diet plan.
To get in touch with a local football team, search online and contact your local league’s secretary. Blow the whistle on your failed fitness drives and kick off your summer diet anew!