Post Game Recovery Activities

​Recovery is important for all athletes. Especially for athletes that play in physical sports like football. Football can be taxing on your body. If you do not recover properly your body can experience negative effects not only over the next couple of days, but also many years after you are done playing the game. After a game is when your body needs to recover the most. Here are recommended post game recovery activities that all football players should use to reset and recharge your body.

• Stretching

During a game your body is overworked from continuous running, blocking, and tackling. It is important to stretch post game or the following day. Focusing on the hamstrings, shoulders, ankles, and glutes. Those body parts are under the most constant stress during competition. Also focusing on soft tissue can help athletes regain their range of motion. 

• Sleep

Getting the proper amount of sleep post competition is essential to an athletes recovery. 8 hours is the recommended amount of sleep to maximize your recovery. After a win it is natural to celebrate but make sure you know when it is time to end that celebration and get your body the rest that it needs. Trust me your body will thank you for it the next day. 

• Post game workout

This workout does not need to be completed immediately after the game but it is a good form of recovery to flush out your system with a nice light workout the next day. These workouts should consist of mostly stretches but also exercises that are specific to the players position such as squats, lunges, upper body rows, etc. These exercises should have emphasis on more reps and less weight. For example if your max back squat is 295lb for 1 rep, then your post game lift can consist of 225lbs for 5 reps. For younger players who are not yet lifting weights, it is still good to do non-weighted exercises like lunges, pull-ups, push ups, prones, etc. Players of all ages should have a nice relaxed run/jog (or treadmill run) included in their workout. 

• Heat/Ice/Water

After your lift or run now it is time for your real recovery to reset your body. For athletes with access to ice baths or even a very cold pool then this is the most recommended option. If you have access to a hot tub and an ice tub/cold pool then a great option can be to “contrast” recover. Spending 2 minutes in hot and 2 minutes in cold. Alternating until you reach 10 minutes. Preferably ending in cold water/ice, and finishing their day off their feet.
​