How to train for football during COVID-19 lockdown

COVID-19 has altered life for many people around the world. If you are an athlete or play for a football club, chances are you have had to change the way in which you train. COVID-19 has thrown up some hurdles for footballers at the amateur, semi-pro, and pro levels, however, those hurdles can certainly be lept over.

In some cases, you simply need to be creative about the way you train. If you do not have access to weights and other equipment, there are certainly a lot of items around your house you can use to train your body.

Running/Cycling

One of the simplest ways to stay fit during the coronavirus pandemic is to get outside and run. Depending on your circumstances, this can be very different. For some, it is still possible to go outside and run the streets and roads near their homes. Others may have space in their back gardens to do some type of running.

Sprints and distance running can both be beneficial for footballers to keep the pounds off, burn calories, and keep the legs fit. You could be lucky enough to have a treadmill (running machine) in your home. This could be a major boost to your fitness if you cannot get outside. Both distance training and sprints can be run on a treadmill.

Like running, you may be able to cycle around your neighbourhood during the COVID-19 outbreak. In addition, you may have a stationary bike in your home which will allow you to cycle multiple times a day to keep fit.

Online Workouts

A lot of sportswear companies have littered their social media channels with at-home workouts for people to use. For example, Under Armour have posted a number of at-home workouts on Instagram featuring sponsored athletes and trainers that enable individuals to work on strength and cardio.

Moreover, there are a plethora of yoga and HIIT workouts on YouTube and Vimeo that give footballers the chance to build and maintain strength.

Training Tools

If you have the space in your garden, then you may be able to use a variety of training tools to practice your skills. Cone-based dribbling drills should be standard for players seeking practice with ball control.

Other training tools that are useful at this time are rebounders. A rebounder simply plays the ball back to you allowing you to control the ball before passing it back. Even without a partner, you can improve your passing and receiving.

Online Trainers

The Internet is a wonderful thing and online training programs have been developed to help you stay fit. Check out the guys from Joner 1 on 1 for an hour-long session.