Even though your children may be thinking right now about what they got for Christmas or going sledding or playing “Fortnite” or some such, the dead of winter also is a good time to think about offseason training. In our last issue, I discussed playing in an indoor soccer or futsal league as a good offseason activity, but there are other ways to maintain fitness over the winter.
Playing sports is the easiest way to stay or get in shape, and it doesn’t have to be a soccer-related sport. In fact, many experts recommend that your kids take up multiple sports to prevent overuse injuries. Whether basketball, hockey, indoor track or any number of other activities, it’s easy for a kid to get motivated to play on a team. Where things get trickier is when it’s up to the individual to stay in shape.
It’s not easy for anyone to maintain a fitness regimen, let alone a kid. There are so many things most kids would rather be doing than working out. I can relate. When I was playing soccer as a kid, I hated working out. I hated running, and I never worked out unless a coach made me. It wasn’t until after I graduated from college that I really embraced exercise.
