By Tori Caudill, Swimming World College Intern
No matter how hard the season or how mighty the goals achieved, the first few days after championships leave swimmers feeling like they have no idea what to do with their free time. While often the break between seasons isn’t longer than a few weeks, those weeks can be some of the most boring weeks of the year. There are so many ways to fill this time, and while it isn’t the same as being in the pool, it just might combat the boredom monster in the post-season.
1. Find a New Exercise Routine.
With the amount of training swimmers go through in a daily basis, completely cutting organized exercise out of your routine can be one of the most common causes of boredom. Your body is used to going through tough workouts everyday, so eliminating all exercise can cause your body to become confused.
While a break from the pool is often needed to maintain your sanity and love for the sport, cross training is never a bad idea. So this year during the post-season, hop on a stationary bike, join a CrossFit gym, try out that ab routine you saw on Twitter. Not only will you feel great but your body will thank you when swim season rolls back around.
2. Watch What You Eat.
Photo Courtesy: Garry Knight
While post-season may seem like the perfect time to start munching cupcakes and goodies, especially after a clean taper diet, this may not be the best idea. While a dessert every once in a while is completely acceptable, it is important to remember that when swim season is over, your body isn’t burning as many calories as it normally would during season. On top of this, reintroducing an overwhelming amount of sweets into your diet will result in feeling sluggish and tired, which is never really ideal.
On the same topic, eating just because of boredom is also very important to be aware of in the post-season. Even if your snacks are healthy, eating something just because you can’t think of anything else to do is not good for your body. Keeping track of what goes into your mouth in the offseason can be a huge asset when going back into season later in the year. However, there is a fine line between eating healthily and restricting your diet to the extreme. There is no need to cut out every “bad food” in the world, just be aware of what’s fueling your body.
3. Take Advantage of Your Community.
Photo Courtesy: La Citta Vita, Memphis, TN
There are always so many things going on in the community around you. Whether this means going to sporting events around town, attending various events at local shops and organizations or hiking at the local parks in the area, there is always something to do. This is the time to get in touch with new interests or pursue things that you couldn’t during the season. Getting involved in the community also helps to make new friends outside of the pool. Swimming may take up a majority of your life, but the world is amazing and the post-season is a great time to explore and learn more about it and yourself.
4. Take a Break.
Photo Courtesy: Digital Trends
Sure, there’s a lot of things that you could be doing, but afterall, the off-season is a break. There’s no reason to not have a couple lazy days to relax and catch up from all the running around during season. You now have time to watch that show all of your friends watched on Netflix during season. Just don’t let Netflix be your only friend over the break.
The post-season can’t be over soon enough, and filling your time with fun alternatives while waiting for the season to start back up can make the difference between a boring post-season, and a fun-filled, stimulating one.