Love Playing Rugby? Here’s How To Keep Your Mind and Body at Peak Efficiency
At a time when the vast majority of people aren’t getting their daily exercise needs, rugby – known far and wide as one of the world’s most physically demanding sports – stands as one of the best ways in which one can get their body in order. Whether you’re a newcomer to the sport, or a long-time lover of the game, there’s all manner of exercises and lifestyle choices you can adopt in order to improve your chances on the field.
Cardio
Running is a big part of rugby, as one might imagine, and as such it’s very important that your workout routine focuses upon improving the body’s cardiovascular system. Get in to the habit of embarking on long distance endurance runs; 1000 metre shuttles, partner runs and sprints, for instance; and repeat every other day of the week.
Mind
Being able to gauge when and where to make those passes, kicks and tackles is one of the most important skills to have when playing the great British game, and keeping an alert, astute mind will assist greatly in boosting one’s abilities. Thankfully, you can do this yourself by simply playing mind-exercising games in your spare time. Whether it be enjoying a few games of cards with the team or playing online casino games via a smartphone at Lady Lucks whilst you’re waiting for training to start, any brain-stimulating activity will help engage those all-important neurons!
Heavy Weights
Bulk and rugby go hand in hand, and as a result every rugby player needs to make sure they’re getting enough weight training every week. Lifting every day might be a push if you’re just an amateur, but perseverance is key to building up those muscles. Big, compound movements that utilise a vast variety of muscle groups are a definite must here, and if you want to push yourself try a pyramid scheme; do a set of six reps, then five, all the way to one, then work back up to six again.
Diet
Key to promoting the best mind and body is diet. Here, don’t rely on pasta and rice, and instead focus on vegetables and lean meat, including very large portions of fruit on top to get those all-important sugars. Sugars allow you to pile on the pounds, something that every rugby player worth their salt needs to get in to the habit of doing.
Do you have any great rugby training tips? Tell us what they are in the comments section!
