It doesn’t matter whether you’re somebody who is out on the pitch twice a week without fail or you just like a wee kickabout with the ball every so often with your mates, everybody likes to be the best they can be.
That is why we’ve put together a list of fitness trends that can help you enhance your game.
Spinning
Spinning is a great way to burn calories (up to 800 during a one-hour session), improve your general fitness and build up the muscles in your legs which certainly comes in handy when you’re running around the pitch for 70 plus minutes.
Boxercise
Your arms are just as important as your legs but can be harder to work on. That’s where boxercise comes in. Not only is a fantastic way of working out your upper arms but it’s brilliant for getting rid of any built-up tension from those high-pressure matches (or questionable referee decisions).
Pilates
Be it in the lead-up to a match or a post-match warm down, pilates is the perfect class for GAA players. As well as helping to stretch out those aching muscles which is a necessity for athletes of all abilities, it increases flexibility and strengthens your core. It’s also the perfect activity for those who want to reduce their risk of injury… which is pretty much everyone!
Zumba
In GAA, stamina and endurance are key which is where Zumba comes in. You certainly won’t be able to use the moves you learn on the pitch but it will teach you to keep moving and think quickly. It also happens to be really fun and something which you and your teammates can do together.
Yoga
It can be really intense out on the field (even if it is just a friendly outing) which is why you should do something which will help you wind down and de-stress. Yoga also helps you to control your breathing and tone those muscles without too much strain. The Dubs have been known to favour yoga too, so if it’s good enough for the boys in blue then there must be something to it!
For more information, please visit www.gaa.ie or to purchase tickets to this Sunday’s GAA Football All-Ireland Championship Semi-Final which will see Mayo and Kerry battle it out for their place in the final, click here.
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