Preparing for Preseason training to avoid injury

Whether you’re a casual player or a competitive athlete, preseason training sets the tone for your entire season. It’s a time to sharpen your fitness, reconnect with your sport, and most importantly to reduce your risk of injury. But jumping straight into training without proper preparation can do more harm than good. 

Before getting back into your training, it’s important to identify any muscle aches or pains and mobility restrictions that could lead to injury. Previous injuries can also limit the amount of preseason training you are able to do if left during the off-season and has not been properly looked after.

1. Building a Base

Preseason isn’t the time to jump straight into explosive drills or heavy competition. Start by building a solid foundation of strength, stability, and control. This base layer will support your joints, improve coordination, and reduce stress on vulnerable areas like the knees, shoulders, and lower back.

2. Building Aerobic Base

Prior to the season, concentrate on regular, low-to-moderate intensity endurance exercises, progressively increasing the volume and duration while adding some high-intensity intervals and strength training. Swimming, cycling, running, walking, and cross trainers are all examples of activities to build an aerobic base. 

Aim for consistency when training, try for 3-4 times per week incorporating 1-2 high-intensity interval sessions (HIIT) per week, this will improve VO2 max and overall fitness. Tempo runs, hill sprints, and sprint intervals are examples of interval sessions to try. Allow 1-2 rest days per week for recovery and prevent overtraining. Increase the duration and volume of your workouts gradually each week, aiming for a 5-10% increase per week. Avoid increasing both intensity and volume simultaneously, as this can lead to overtraining.

3. Mobility and Flexibility

Tight muscles reduce your range of motion and put unnecessary stress on the joints and tendons. Static stretching and dynamic mobility drills before pre-season training can help keep you limber and resilient. 

Using a foam roller or massage gun focus on commonly tight areas like hips, hamstrings, calves, lower back, and shoulders, as well as targeted physiotherapy exercises can make a big difference. 

Some stretches to try: 

• Quad stretch – standing on one leg bring your other leg up and hold the ankle, pull until you feel a stretch
• Hip flexor stretch – In a lunge position, push your hips forward until you feel a stretch at the front of your hip
• Hamstring stretch – lying on your back, bend hip to 90 degrees and straighten your leg
• Calf stretch – on a step hang your heel off the edge

4. Gradually Increase Training Load 

Your body adapts to stress if that stress is applied gradually. Overloading too quickly is one of the top causes of pre-season injuries.  

At Synergy Physio in Surrey we can help you gradually progress training, so you peak at the right time without burnout or breakdown. 

What to include: 

• Bodyweight exercises – squats, lunges, press-ups
• Core stability training – planks, bird dogs, dead bugs
• Resistance/weight training with proper form
• Aerobic exercises – running, cycling, swimming 

5. Listen to your Body  

Off-season isn’t just about rest, it’s about giving your body what it needs to rebuild from the prior season. Prioritize quality sleep, nutrition, hydration, and active recovery like light movements, massage, or guided stretching. 

If you feel pain that’s sharp, achy, persistent, or affecting your mechanics, don’t push through it. That’s your body’s red flag. Early treatment can prevent a minor issue from turning into a season-ending injury.

If you would like to speak to a physiotherapist or book a sport massage then please get in touch.  Book an appointment online.