Experienced triathlete and qualified exercise physiologist, Trevor Woods, shares some valuable bits of information for athletes during their ‘off-season’.

For many athletes, the wintertime is their so-called ‘off season’ period, wherein they wind down their competition schedule, and take a well-earned physical and mental break before embarking on the preparation for the next season. It’s a critical period where one can re-charge their body and mind, reflect on how their season went, and consider what their key targets will be for the year ahead.

Depending on how the previous season went amongst other factors, the length of the off-season can vary from only 1 or 2 weeks up to several months. The key is to take the time you need to re-charge mentally and physically. If for example I’ve had a good season, raced well but had several niggly injuries during the year, managing them from week to week, the off-season is a key period to get back to basics and focus on rehabbing those.

Get the help of a good physio/physical therapist, get a bike-fit, get a run gait analysis, get some input from an S&C expert. It’s the ideal time to try and resolve those issues now that there aren’t any major competitions and structured/intense training sessions.

Staying active is also key during this period, and this could be as simple as going for a weekly hike in the mountains, getting on a mountain bike for some rides instead of the road bike. Make sure to keep it fun, low stress and relatively unstructured.

This time of the year can also present many challenges in relation to staying healthy and avoiding illness. With more viruses doing the rounds and people typically spending more time indoors it can be difficult to avoid such.

So, what can we do to avoid such, or at least not allow illness to interfere with remaining physically active? A healthy nutrition plan is key here, aiming for a well-balanced, nutritious, ‘whole food’ diet that minimises highly processed foods, and optimally nourishes every cell in our body.

Omega 3, 6 & 9 fatty acids are a key component of a healthy diet, and my ‘go-to’ source of this is Udo’s Choice Ultimate Oil Blend as it’s a rich source of the particularly important Omega 3 EPA and DHA. EPA and DHA contribute to the normal function of the heart, and DHA contributes to maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision.

Aside from a healthy nutrition plan there of course other key factors to staying healthy in the winter. Sleep is one key feature of staying healthy, as important as a healthy diet and exercise. Aim for a consistent 7-9 hours per night as this will give significant health benefits including improved mood and cognitive function. Neglecting sleep has the potential to weaken our immunity making us more susceptible to illnesses.