How footballers keep themselves fit during the summer break

The 2016/17 Premier League season has now come to a close and it was a memorable campaign for Antonio Conte as he led Chelsea to their fifth title during his debut season in England.

Players will now head off on their summer holidays with their friends and families over the coming weeks and no doubt they will let their hair down after another gruelling season.

The likes of Las Vegas, Miami and Dubai are popular hot spots for the wealthy footballers and I’m sure we’ll see plenty of photographs of players enjoying themselves in sunny destinations.

However, managers will also have instructed the players not to let their fitness levels drop too much over the coming weeks so I’ll look at how footballers can maintain their fitness during the summer break.

Gym sessions

Maintaining core fitness is vital for footballers so most will continue to visit the gym regularly even while away on holiday. The easy availability of a flexible gym membership or day pass means no matter where in the world a player is, he’ll be able to go to the gym and work out. Keeping fitness levels high will ensure the players remain in excellent shape but they shouldn’t push themselves too hard. They need to do just enough to maintain fitness levels but not over exert themselves. This is supposed to be their holiday time after-all.

Eat and drink sensibly 

Unfortunately many footballers over-indulge when they go on end-of-season tours to tempting places like Las Vegas with England international’s photographed drinking, smoking and eating unhealthy foods. Managers will encourage their players to enjoy themselves but they must remain professional and continue to look after their bodies by eating and drinking sensibly.

Play football

This may seem like an obvious one but players can continue to play non-competitive football during the summer break in order to maintain a certain level of match sharpness. Taking part in fun matches and 5-a-side games with friends and teammates can ensure a player remains in good touch. However, they shouldn’t go too far with the slide tackles as a manager wouldn’t take too kindly to one of his players being injured while on holiday!

Swimming 

Swimming is an excellent way to keep fit and footballers can maintain their fitness levels by taking part in regular swimming sessions during the summer. Of course they can visit a local swimming pool or health club but they could even do a few laps at the hotel if the pool is big enough or even do some sea swimming if they are brave enough. They’ll just need to watch out for sharks!