Top 10 tips to excel in Sports

Too much to do and too little time is every teens problem. But when it comes to Fitness for sports there is no excuse. Use the 10 tips below to excel in sports and even get that coveted scholarship many teens dream!

1. Get Involved

Never miss an opportunity to get involved in sports. An active life makes you enjoy your teen years to the fullest. Get involved in sports requiring running, strength and quick reflexes. Not just chess and computer games. But sports which will help you improve your physical fitness.

Physically fit teens are much more appealing than only-geeks. Also girls notice you on the field and find athletes very attractive. Just one more reason to play some sport today.

2. Stretch to become flexible

Stretching is the most neglected part of sports training. Stretching helps you become flexible and prevents injuries. Also flexible players are much more agile and performs sport-skills easily.

You need to do both general whole body stretching and specific muscle group or sport specific stretching. Jogging and bodyweight exercises are excellent for a stretching workout.

3. Train with Weights for strength

Weight Training Exercises can be done using exercise equipments like dumbbells, barbells or gym machines and also using your own bodyweight.

If you are early teen then Bodyweight exercises called calisthenics like push ups, pull ups and squats are excellent.

If you are in late teens then I suggest you train with weights at home or in the gym. Make sure you perform these 5 excellent exercises - Bench press, shoulder press, deadlift, barbell rows and Squats. These exercises cover all major muscle groups strengthening them for an excellent whole body workout.

You can more about Muscle Building for Teens here.

4. Train for speed

Almost every sport requires you to have quick reflexes to move and change directions quickly. Speed training uses speed drills will help you build sharp reflexes. Simple speed drills like sprinting, running fast and turning around, stop & move drills, throwing tennis balls and relays are excellent for developing speed and reflexes.

5. Train for aerobic endurance

Now that we have covered 2 important parts of fitness, namely strength and speed, lets talk about aerobic conditioning. You may have great power, your reflexes may be lightening but without your heart supplying enough oxygen you will fail on the field. What skills can you show when you cannot even catch your
breath?

On days you are not training with weights, run or jog for 20-30 minutes continuously. This will improve your aerobic endurance considerably. You can also use treadmills, rope skipping or any aerobic exercise machine and the
results will be the same.

6.Get sport specific

Different sports require different skills. Skills required in football are different than those required in tennis. In my next article I will cover sport specific skills as well. Or check the exercise section at buzzle.com

7. Get quality Nutrition

Nutrition is often neglected and the common excuse is time. Remember without proper diet all your efforts in the gym and on the field will be a waste.

Tip One - Eat a good breakfast. Sleep a little early and get up a little early. This will make time for your breakfast.

Tip Two - Eat your veggies. Yes your mom is right. Just finish those veggies and get on the field. Case closed.

8. Get enough Sleep

I can already hear you saying, that when 24 hours are not enough how can you get enough sleep? The fact of the matter is that with planning your homework and play times properly you can squeeze in an extra hour sleep. Remember you want to perform well on the field and a little dedication will help you here. For example you can get to homework quickly after sports training rather than watching TV. TV is a weekend item. Let those who do not play sports watch and waste time. You are going to be fit and excel in your team as well.

Also you should cut back on phone and internet. Less sleep will affect your performance on field and might cost you your seat to someone who plays well just because he slept well and looks fresh.

9. Competitions are great motivators

A competition like those between colleges or schools are an excellent motivation to train hard and win. They will provide you the additional impetus to give your best preparing for the competition.

10. Attend all parties and get together

In addition to building your muscles and sport skills its important to develop your whole personality. Attend local competitions and get togethers. Those are great places to meet people and make friends. Also your gym might be the place where you will meet your training partner. These relationships will take you a long way in getting and staying motivated.

By Mateen Siddiqui

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