The Training Transition
05/02/23
The transition out of sport is a hot topic of discussion for athletes, and rightly so given all the obstacles that come with figuring out what life looks like after sports. Much of the support that exists for athletes stops once their careers end. There are so many changes that take place when athletes transition out of sports physically, emotionally, socially, and mentally. However, one transition that often gets glossed over is an athlete going from consistently training competitively to learning how to train themselves.
Personally, this transition out of sports was something I didn’t consider or prepare for. It might appear like a minor thing on the surface, but was more challenging than I anticipated. As an athlete for over a decade, my workouts were always predetermined and written for me. My job was just to show up to practice every day, and my coach’s job was to tell me how many yards I’d be swimming and what the intervals for each set were.
As I reflect now, it’s no wonder I had absolutely no road map for how to work out or train my body after swimming. I never learned how to train my body independent of a coach. I remember going to gym the first year after retiring from sport and feeling like a fish out of water (which I guess technically I was). How do I workout? How long? What machines do I use? What intensity? How much weight?
I quickly realized, how challenging it was not having a coach telling me how to train every day. Further, how my mentality that a workout is only “good” if I could hardly stand up at the end was harmful and not sustainable. It’s funny now to think how uncomfortable I felt at the gym initially, despite me being a former Division I athlete.
At the time, I felt like this was just a “me” problem. Now, in the work I do with athletes, I realize how common it is for athletes to struggle with figuring out what training their body looks like after sports. I often discuss with my athletes how critical it is to create a new relationship with working out/training once their career is over.
Here are some tips to consider:
Be patient. For many athletes this feels like a counterintuitive statement given the drive they have to immediately excel and succeed on and off the field. I encourage my former athletes to give themselves some time to rest...you deserve it! This is a time of self-discovery, and you now have the autonomy to choose how you train your body. Give yourself some time and space (two things you rarely had as an athlete) to figure out what’s next individually and athletically.
Levels of Intensity. Many athletes have learned only one mode when training, and that’s full throttle. Part of rediscovering your relationship with training is recognizing there are many forms and types of ways to work out, at VARYING intensity levels. The mistake former athletes make is thinking every workout needs to be back breaking. Give yourself permission to work out some days at a lower intensity level.
Fun. Training as a competitive athlete can often start to feel like a job, especially after doing it for most of your life. As you rediscover what training your body looks like after sports, start thinking about forms of working out you ENJOY or want to try. This is an opportunity for you to explore different ways of moving your body that is fun. Training can become something you look forward to doing versus something you HAVE to do.