Something that is not talked about enough is how to make the transition from playing competitive sports to working out just because you want to. This transition is not easy and can be mentally challenging for a lot of people. I resonate with this topic because I had to transition from playing competitive volleyball year round for about 8 years to not playing any type of sport. I started playing sports when I was about 5 years old trying just about everything including gymnastics, swimming, dance, softball, basketball, soccer, and tennis. It felt like I never stopped playing sports, but once I started playing volleyball I fell in love and it truly was a never ending cycle. Even though I eventually chose to stop playing, it was really hard for me to say goodbye to something that was ingrained in my life for such a long period of time. I would love to share some of my tips on how to workout regularly without a sport holding you accountable for working out.
Take it All In
Maybe you just finished your last season or it’s been a few years after you finished your sport. There are some major changes to your life that you might notice right off the bat. You have so much free time because you don’t have practice or games anymore. You probably have more time for a social life without your sport taking up almost every instant you have. You might not be as sore because your body isn’t constantly getting hit or moving at an intense pace. There are so many changes that you might not get used to for a while, but just take a minute to take it all in. Allow yourself to be grateful for all your body has allowed you to do within your sport. Reminisce about all the wonderful things your sport has brought you in life such as friends, leadership abilities, or confidence. Realize that playing a sport is just another asset that you have and it is not your whole personality. It might take time to find what things you enjoy or what you’re skilled at, but it will come with time. I can attest to the fact that once I stopped playing volleyball it felt like my world turned upside down. I thought that part of my personality was missing without competitive sports. It took time to find new things I loved doing and one of those things happened to be fitness. If you feel like you’re in a rut after getting out of your sport, don’t worry too much. You will navigate your new schedule and figure out what feels right before trying to jump right back into working out.
Create a New Schedule
Once you allow yourself ample time to take everything in, you might be wondering what to do with all your time. There are negatives and positives to the busy schedule you’re given for sports. It’s positive because it forces you to keep track of what you have to get done and when because you have practices and games scheduled throughout the week. It’s negative because you don’t get to choose what time you want to do anything because the schedule is usually really packed. I always complained about having a crazy busy schedule while involved in volleyball and tennis, but once I left that schedule I kind of missed it. I loved the busy schedule I had because it held me accountable and forced me to get work done before or after my practices when I had the time. When you’re free to do things when you want, it’s really easy to procrastinate. If you’re trying to figure out when to workout in your week the best piece of advice I can give you is to create a schedule. Grab your calendar or planner and write down when you have time to workout. Block off however long you need to workout and put it into your schedule. This will lower your chances of procrastinating on work because you can’t do work during the time set for working out. Remember that you don’t have a coach to be holding you accountable for your workouts anymore so try your best to stick to your new schedule.
Find New Motivation
The hardest part of transitioning from playing a competitive sport to just being active is the motivation. During sports, adrenaline is coursing through your body and it can be thrilling when you do something good for the team. It usually doesn’t feel like a workout when playing sports because you’re focusing so hard to beat the other team that you don’t realize your own exhaustion until after the game is over. When being an active adult it’s a bit less exciting at times. Working out can become difficult because you might not know why you’re even doing it. You could just be going through the motions and not truly understanding what you’re capable of doing. While playing sports your motivation was probably to beat the other team, to get better at your position, or to progress at a specific type of skill. When attempting a regular workout schedule you will need to adjust your motivation. Consider your new motivation to be maintaining a healthy weight, managing your stress levels, preventing chronic illnesses, helping sleep problems, or becoming the strongest you have ever been. Finding a new motivation will take time and you will need to look inward to realize what your new priorities and goals are.
Find Your Favorite Type of Movement
Playing sports usually involves a very specific skill set and when you start working out you might not know what type of movement is your favorite. I would suggest trying everything at least once to scope out what feels best for your body. You might hate lifting weights, but find peace doing yoga and pilates. You might hate doing cardio, but love the strength you find lifting weights. Whatever type of exercise you fall in love with is what you should try to incorporate in most of your workouts. You should always do workouts that make you happy. Playing sports forces you to do all kinds of workouts that may have made you feel miserable, but you don’t have to do them anymore if you don’t want to. If you miss the explosive workouts you did from playing sports then you can incorporate those kinds of exercises into your workout routine. Find what works best for you and what you can keep up with on a weekly basis.
Transitioning from playing a competitive sport to just being active is a huge leap. You might feel like you’re missing a large part of yourself and that is normal. Give yourself time before jumping right into a workout schedule if you don’t feel ready. Appreciate all the great things that have come out of playing a sport and also appreciate where your life is headed now without playing any sports. When you feel ready to start a new fitness journey, take action and form a schedule for yourself. This will not only allow you to reach your fitness goals, but also stay on track with whatever work needs to get done. Find new motivation for your workouts and find your favorite type of movement. Just because you’re done playing sports does not mean that you are done being an athlete, so get out there and workout like the athlete you are!
