How to Start Conditioning Now for Summer Cheerleading Practice

There’s no need to shut your muscles and your coordination in a drawer along with your cheerleading apparel for the off season. Conditioning now for summer cheerleading practice can help you get into prime condition before practice starts. This can help you cheer better and keep you from limping around in your Soffe shorts with sore muscles for the first few weeks. Regardless of what level you left last season, there’s a chance to start off next season with your highest cheer goals in mind.  

 
Stretch
One of the most important things you can do to prepare for summer cheerleading practice is to keep up with your stretching. Make sure you routinely cover a full stretch routine at least three times weekly, along with daily stretching to keep you limber and preserve your range of motion. This can help prevent injuries and also increase your ability to perform complex cheerleading routines.
Keep up on the Basics
Ever start a new season and wonder what happened to your muscle memory? Don’t forget to cover the basics routinely to make sure that you are not starting from scratch when you return to your cheerleading uniforms and new practice routine. Review the basic motions and make sure you perform them a few times each week. You’ll be amazed what this will do to keep you in fighting shape for next season. Go over all your old moves and make sure you can maintain the correct position and motions. Work on the jumps and make sure that you can hit the right placement every time. Practice in front of a mirror to make sure you can spot where you may be losing your edge.

Stay Fit
One part of keeping up on your conditioning is staying active and ensuring that your endurance is on track. There’s nothing like getting to practice and bailing out halfway through to catch your breath. Take a light jog every few days or pick up an alternative sport to keep your activity level high. Ride a bike, swim, run, or play another sport during your downtime.
Buddy Up
The buddy system is a great way to keep up on pre-practice conditioning. Find a friend to help you stick to your workout plan. They can also help you with a second set of eyes to make sure that you are hitting your moves correctly. Challenge each other to improve and set goals to reach before practice even begins. You’ll show up better prepared to take lead positions and pick up new moves if you’ve mastered your motions from last year and even picked up some new ones during your downtime.
Most of all, make it fun! Sticking to an activity plan is all about having a good time doing it. Setting goals, bringing a buddy, and reminding yourself just how well-prepared you’ll be for summer practice can help you stick to a conditioning schedule and reach your goals for next year’s cheerleading season.