Cover Photo by Jeffrey F Lin on Unsplash

After playing an intense soccer match, taking care of your body is key. In this last blog of the Player Wellness series, we provide tips on taking care of your body post-game.

For more details or information about post-game treatment, contact a sports trainer or a sports medicine specialist. 

Player Wellness: Training:

https://soccerpost.com/blogs/news/player-wellness-training 

Player Wellness: Pregame:

https://soccerpost.com/blogs/news/player-wellness-pregame

Player Wellness: Post-game 

Right after the game ends, stretching and having a cool down is important. These help avoid your muscles from becoming tight and your legs becoming heavy. Stretch out any muscle groups that are heavily used in soccer, similar to the stretches done in a pregame warmup. Using equipment like a foam roller can also help in muscle recovery. If you do not have access to a foam roller, things like soccer balls and tennis balls make good makeshift foam rollers.

Changing out of your equipment and gear soon after the game is vital. This will let your body begin to decompress and allow sweat to evaporate, cooling you down. Also, warm, sweaty gear being left on for too long can possibly lead to rashes and bacteria forming.

After the game it is important to gain back electrolytes. Drinking sports drinks like Gatorade or Powerade can help in recovering those lost electrolytes. Sports drinks can also help rehydrate your body. Similar to the first two blogs in this series, being hydrated is one of the most important parts of player wellness. Continuing to drink water after the game will help rehydrate you so your body can function properly.

If possible, light activity after the game will help avoid muscle soreness and heavy legs. A walk, bike ride or swimming are good examples of light activity, as long as you keep your body moving. 

A good meal after the game will help your body recover along with fueling your body after losing calories due to the workout. 

Rest is the final step to player wellness after a game.  After a severe workout, like soccer, your body is going to be tired, letting it rest is important. Your body will tell you how much rest it needs, when your body is ready for sleep, listen to it. And get an ample amount of sleep, don’t cut it short.

As these tips are the basics of player wellness, contact a sports trainer or sports medicine specialist if there is something more bothering your body.