How to Stay in Shape During the Off Season

As any varsity cheerleader knows, this sport is a demanding one. Once you get in shape, you don't want to lose that edge. So if you aren't cheering year round, you still want to stay in shape for yourself and for the good of your cheerleading squad. Here are some tips for staying on top of your game. Ramp Up Your Flexibility With Yoga: Staying flexible is a big part of cheerleading and adding in a yoga routine does more than just focus on making you more limber. It can also fine-tune your focus and sharpen your technique. How does it do this? Working through the pain and overextending your muscles is pretty much par for the course when you are a cheerleader. By using yoga to become more aware of your body and engaging all of its muscle groups, you can make sure that it is properly aligned without overextending it. The off season is the perfect time to work on finding the right type of yoga for your needs and work it into your exercise routine. Cross Train With Cardio: Cardio gets your heart pumping and is important for maintaining -- and even increasing your endurance. Of course, your cheerleading routine -- which you should still be practicing to stay sharp, btw! -- provides some cardio but you should add in an additional 30 minutes to an hour every other day at least. Mix it up to cut down on boredom if you are prone to it or use this time to hone your skills in dance, swimming, cycling and/or running -- to name just a few possibilities. Increase Your Power with Plyometrics: What is plyometrics? Chances are as a cheerleader, you've been doing this all along -- even if you don't know the fancy name for it. Plyometrics involves exercises that train your muscles to contract then produce great vertical gains, launching you upward in those moves that bring the crowd to its feet. Hone these skills even during the off season by adding in a series of hopping and jumping exercises like bunny hops, jump squats and single-leg hops. Focus on Your Strength: Whether you are one of the foundation members of your team's pyramid or you are the one that stands at its top, you need strong muscles to be able to give your best performance. You can change up your routine and focus on a different muscle group each day or tackle your entire body with a whole-body circuit. Pushups, lunges, planks, wall squats and calf raises are just a few of the many exercises you can incorporate into your off-season routine that will build your strength. Even if you are not competing, you don't want to let your body -- and mind! -- get out of shape. Maintain your performance by taking the above tips to heart. Who knows? You might even find yourself doing more than just maintaining your fitness level and reach new heights in fitness before the next season of cheerleading rolls around.