Whether this is your first year competing or you have been in your sport of choice for ages, pre-season training is essential for season success. However, the one thing that can hold you back from getting the type of training you need to excel is money. It isn’t necessarily cheap to get your body into prime condition, which may make you feel like you have to make a decision between upholding your budget and getting yourself ready to compete.
Fortunately, that is a choice that you don’t have to make as there are ways to get essential pre-season training equipment without having to spend a lot of cash. Here are some ideas to consider:
- Resistance Bands. Getting yourself in shape for the season that lies ahead involves engaging in strength resistance exercises. The problem with this is that most weight machines are expensive and even free weights can really stress your cash flow. One option that is low cost but still provides a muscle-building workout is resistance bands. For less than £20, you can get an entire set of bands that will offer varying weight resistances, giving you a great full body workout at minimal cost.
- Training Shoes. Very few sports require their players to be shoeless, so you’re probably going to need a pair of training shoes as you enter pre-season. Some retailers that promote training shoes at reasonable prices include SportsShoes.com, Pro-Direct, and even Amazon. And while you may be tempted to buy the cheapest brand to save some cash, just remember that you still need proper support. In other words, this may be one area where you have to splurge a little.
- Jump rope. If you don’t have the cash for a treadmill, cross trainer, or any other piece of equipment, just purchase a jump rope for a few pounds and you will get a great cardio workout for a mere fraction of the cost.
- Bottles and shakers. Pre-season training also involves getting the nutrients you need, something that most athletes accomplish by drinking a lot of water and protein shakes. Therefore, a bottle and shaker are pre-season essentials that you can get for just a few pounds.
- Speed ladders. This is an essential piece of fitness equipment for pre-season training, these ladders are great tools for athletes, circuit training and sports teams. Speed ladder drills are not meant to exhaust you, but are mean't to test your brains activity and increase your overall reaction times by helping your stimulating your muscles and help you move faster.
These are just a few ideas. What other ones do you have that are low-cost? Feel free to share below!
