Conditioning Strategies for Peak Athletic Performance

No matter what sport or athletic activity you do, conditioning will make you better at it.

Every sport is a power event, whether you're hitting a ball or riding a bike up a hill. In addition to working on the specific skills of the sport, you also want to build up the power you need to get the job done faster, harder, and better.

You increase your power in two key ways:

• Doing resistance training, such as working with weights, to build basic muscle strength
• Stretching, to increase flexibility and improve your range of motion

The benefits of stronger, more flexible muscles boost your endurance and help prevent injury.

It's also important to maintain good cardiovascular conditioning through regular aerobic workouts. Cardio training helps you process oxygen and produce energy at a higher level. This helps you play your sport with less effort and for a longer period.

Strength training and flexibility exercises work together to create a more effective driving action. This advantage is especially clear in baseball, golf, tennis, and other sports that involve brief, explosive action. You'll see a measurable improvement in both force and range.

The best strategy is to condition all of your muscles, no matter what your sport. Otherwise, the muscles you ignore become weak and can be easily injured.

In addition, for peak performance, focus on those muscles emphasized in your sport. Here are some conditioning strategies for some popular spring sports:

• Baseball. This sport has a high risk of injury. This is because players who stand around in the outfield suddenly have to dive for the ball or sprint. You should have very flexible hamstrings and have strong, well-balanced leg muscles. You also need to condition the back, shoulder, and elbow muscles, which support throwing and batting.
• Golf. A golf swing puts tough demands on lower-back muscles, especially when the back is out of condition. Building up your lower-back muscles gives you stability and support and improves the power of your swing. You should also increase strength and balance in the other muscles involved in your stroke—specifically, those in your midsection, shoulders, forearms, and elbows.
• Tennis. This sport requires strong and balanced lower and upper legs. Serving and hitting the ball from a sideways position also puts great torque on the midsection. So, it's important to condition your oblique muscles. These are the muscles on your side that twist your trunk. For power and injury prevention, strengthen your shoulders, arms, and elbows.
• Swimming. Pulling yourself through the water demands a strong chest and midsection. The muscles controlling the front and sides of the chest become too strong for the muscles in the back and top of the shoulders. So, you need to stretch the front and sides and strengthen the back and top muscles. Because swimmers are always kicking, the muscles that control your hips and knees also need to be strong.

You don't have to be an elite athlete to benefit from good conditioning. Better strength and flexibility make any activity more enjoyable, no matter what your level of participation.