But there's an important truth that can get lost in the New Year's resolution narrative. You don’t always have to pursue big goals. In fact, it is not sustainable for your body and mind. Taking a break from focusing on improving your fitness can help you achieve more success in the future.
Take a look at the world's fittest humans: professional athletes, who spend months each year in the offseason to reset and recover. For Sydney Leroux and her fellow National Women's Soccer League (NWSL) players, that time is now. While all the resolution-makers are working hard to achieve that new gym membership, soccer pros are getting some much-needed rest.
“You can’t go 24/7. Your body needs rest.” —Sydney Leroux
But for many of us, taking a break is easier said than done. This is especially true if you're trying to balance maintaining fitness while allowing sufficient recovery between workouts. Leroux, an Olympic gold medalist, Angel City FC forward and mother of two, has had an offseason down to a science after 10 years in the NWSL. Her tips on how to stay motivated and healthy during her break are invaluable. This doesn't just apply to elite athletes.
Sydney Leroux's 4 tips for offseason recovery
1. Create a routine
Let's say you're a runner who frequently trains for races. If you go through the offseason and suddenly don't have a training plan in place that dictates your schedule, your routine can get thrown out of whack and you may feel unshackled.
But just because you're not working toward a big goal doesn't mean you don't have a routine. In fact, Leroux says having one is key to staying focused during the offseason.
For her, this means alone time and coffee before the kids wake up, smoothies for breakfast, taking the kids to school, training sessions, hearty lunches, lifting sessions, and protein shakes (she's a spokesperson for Optimum Nutrition and tastes Double Rich Chocolate). (I swear), pick up the kids and then have a family dinner. (If training and lifting almost every day doesn't sound like the offseason, just know that Leroux swears by a much lighter schedule than during the season.)
2. Aim for consistency, not perfection
Finding balance during the offseason can be difficult. Are you doing too much or not enough? With so many other obligations (work, family, social life), how do you make time for rest and recovery? don't If you take a break from pursuing your fitness goals, do they go away?
“The most important thing to understand is that there is no perfect balance, just do the best you can,” says Leroux. Stressing yourself out about it negates the whole idea of having an offseason, she says, so focus on being consistent rather than making sure you're doing exactly right. “The more you stay consistent, the more motivated you become,” she says.
3. Set small, process-oriented goals
The fitness offseason is a time to take a break from the big, results-oriented goals that drive you at other times of the year, whether it's running marathon PRs, lifting heavier weights or, in Leroux's case, winning games and championships. .
But you can still organize your time around small, process-focused goals. Leroux, for example, is consuming enough protein every day to aid her recovery, which usually looks like one of her go-to chocolate protein shakes after her workouts.
If you're a runner who spends the offseason prioritizing recovery, your process goals may seem as simple as going to a yoga or Pilates class twice a week for cross-training. When you start lifting weights, can you feel your body wanting to rest? Set process goals like Leroux that focus on everyday recovery, like staying hydrated or getting enough sleep.
4. Embrace the power of relaxation
If you struggle to truly relax, embracing relaxation for the sake of relaxation can be difficult. So reframe them as essential steps to achieving your goals, Leroux suggests.
“It can be difficult to listen to your body when you want something or are working toward something,” she says. “But we can’t go there 24/7. Your body needs rest. Think of it as a reset. Don’t think of it as stopping, think of it as resting so you can get stronger.”
Allowing your muscles to recover properly is a cornerstone of getting and staying healthy, and if you don't rest, you'll absorb the overall muscle mass gains.
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