How to Stay Fit During Off Season

The Basics.

As students reach the top of the fifth-floor stairs, they can often be heard mumbling, “ugh I need to work out more.” The second day of tryouts is met with an array of complaints about being too sore. And after that third slice of pizza, people start feeling guilty for skipping the gym.

But working out doesn’t just have to be an “on” season thing or something to regret not doing.

Athletic trainer Dakota Orlando says working out regularly can improve students’ overall health.

“It lowers stress and anxiety… [it also] helps lower injury rates,” Orlando said.

She attributes this to proprioception or sense of the relative positions of one’s own self. Orlando believes that through working out you become more aware of your body and its limits so the risk of injury decreases.

But she understands how hard creating a workout routine can be, even if it means a healthier lifestyle. Orlando’s solution is an “accountability partner.” Having someone to fall back on when you need motivation can make all the difference.

For senior Adelaine Marrone, her partner has helped her stay motivated to make it to every early morning workout. By going to Revolution Gym with her dad, she has found someone to struggle through on a bike and lifting dumbells with — she’s found herself voluntarily opting out of sleeping in and making it to classes.

But there are different types of workouts, not just ones at the gym. Here are some broken down: gym classes or smaller out-of-the-gym workouts. For those looking to stay fit even if you don’t play a sport, here are some why’s and how-to’s.

Gym Classes

Gyms offer perks like scheduled classes which make it harder to skip a workout when the classes are at a set time according to Marrone.

To balance staying fit and a busy high school schedule, she gets up early to workout every morning.

“During the day I’m so much more awake,” Marrone said. “Being able to think about it and know ‘I worked out this morning’ is great.”

She has found it motivating to see the progress she’s made and helps motivate her to push herself even more. But unlike senior Peyton Bridge, she’s not getting ready for a sport — Bridge does CrossFit to get and stay in shape before baseball season.

“Running around the base track doesn’t seem that tiring but we have three to four games a week and after a few games you get kinda tired,” Bridge said.

His class entails a warm-up of stretching and light cardio, to weightlifting like squats or deadlift. The last part of the class is a mix of weightlifting and cardio, the goal being to get in as many reps before the time limit is up. Bridge’s inside tip to improving: workout with someone who is better than you.

Watching someone who is stronger than him helps push Bridge to match that person whether that be adding weights he didn’t think possible, or pushing himself to go longer in cardio workouts.

Like Bridge, the varsity lacrosse boys do CrossFit a couple times a week. While they are working towards being physically ready for the season, they are also building that comradery by all showing up and putting in the work according to junior Hudson Carroll.

Free Time

Orlando is well aware that it’s hard to find time to work out, but she also knows that life only gets busier. She believes that now is the time to start making those habits.

This doesn’t mean every work out needs to be long grind sessions at the gym according to Orlando. There are simple things to do at home or out of the gym.

To start off, she recommends a quick Google or Alexa workout if you are pressed for time.

“You can say ‘Google put a seven-minute workout on’ and it will give you instructions for that seven minutes,” Orlando said. “It’s usually thirty seconds on like squatting or pushups… and then it’ll tell you to rest.”

This is a perk for students as they don’t have to question which exercise they should do next — instead just follow YouTube.

Orlando believes that even small circuit workouts two to three days a week will help to build those good habits. And once a student sees how much they can do, it can challenge them to push themselves even further.

Verily Magazine, a magazine centered around healthy lifestyles, suggests quick morning yoga videos that can lead to improvements throughout the day such as better overall posture. The magazine also found in a study published by Neuropsychologia that as little as ten minutes of physical activity increases brain function.

If yoga and waking up early isn’t your thing she also recommends hiking trails, swimming or other activities that incorporate student passions. Anything to get people out of the house even if smelly gym classes aren’t their thing.

Every day after school senior Claire Griffith, amidst all of her IB classes, fits in a one to two hour-long rocky climbing session. Her motivation stems from the importance of staying physically active.

“Mentally you have to think a lot about what you are doing but also it’s really good to keep you physically active,” Griffith said. “It is definitely full body even though it focuses on upper body and core.”