Hey all! Just a shout of for a little project I’ve been working on. During the past month or so, I’ve been writing a lot of conditioning & running programs to help prepare athletes for getting back into sport following a layoff. Another physio and S&C coach, John (@rtr_physio) and I, have developed a comprehensive evidence-based 6week running & conditioning program designed for team sport (soccer & football primarily) returning back into activity following lockdown, or those looking to maximise fitness.
We have already seen the significant spike in injuries for the Bundesliga (German Soccer), where injuries increased from a pre-lockdown average of 0.27 per game to 0.88 in 1st round back post-COVID. The likelihood is that many medical experts, including myself, expect most other local and professional leagues to be the same. An ABC article highlights this point in more detail (see here).
Consider: Just completing long slow runs (or sitting on the couch) doesn’t adequately prepare your body for the demands of sport. Furthermore, why would you want to return to sub-optimum fitness, conditioning, speed and performance levels. Return back after time off, or lockdown, or injury, even fitter and faster than you were before.
The video below provides even further information.