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Six activities for the offseason

The weeks following a race season are a time of resetting the body. Here are six activities you can do to stay active and keep your body and mind fresh. 

The triathlon season can be a long grind. In Canada, the triathlon season typically lasts from May to late September. That isn’t a long of a season compared to those down south, but with a number of races occurring weekend after weekend and many distances to choose from, the season can be pretty busy.

Related: Ten tips for your offseason

Considering the endless winter months of training indoors, it’s in your best interest to change up the routine. The last thing you want to do after months of training outdoors is go down into the pain cave.

Related: Four reasons why you should take an offseason break

The weeks following a race season are a time of resetting the body. This doesn’t mean you have to stop exercising or being active, but with no races coming up and the weather transitioning between fall and winter, it is a good time to do something different. Here are six activities you can do to stay active and keep your body and mind fresh.

  1. Bouldering/Rock-climbing: Scared of heights? Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial wall surfaces, without the use of harnesses or ropes. Bouldering walls rarely surpass five metres, and climbing gyms are heavily padded with crash mats. This outdoorsy activity is ideal in the cold winter months with many indoor climbing gyms popping up in urban centres. Climbing will help develop your upper body and core, while also challenging your decision making and agility.
  2. Hot Yoga: The benefits of yoga cannot be underestimated. Implementing this activity into your offseason routine, especially early on, will greatly benefit you come May when you enter your first race. Yoga combines strength, stability and flexibility all into one session. Add the calming atmosphere and heat (if you do hot yoga), and this activity will keep you fresh throughout the winter, even when you start the winter sufferfest sessions.
  3. Crossfit: Still feeling the urge to hammer out a high lactate workout? Join a CrossFit gym. Crossfit is not only going to target your entire body, but it’s also going to stress your cardiovascular system through a variety of high-intensity intervals.
  4. Fat Bike: In the past five years, fat bikes have become all the rage, especially in cities like Montreal, where there’s snow eight months of the year. Renting or owning a fat bike is a great way to train outdoors in the winter if you have some local trails nearby or quiet country roads.
  5. Snowshoeing: The late fall or winter months can be tough. A lot of our time can be spent indoors working and binging on Netflix. To break the routine, take your family and friends out snowshoeing. This is an activity you can do at variable intensities, from strolling through the forest to hammering up the hills.
  6. Cross Country Skiing: This full body workout targets your cardiovascular system much like running, but it doesn’t have the same impact on your joints. Adding this activity into your training repertoire will keep you visually stimulated, while also developing your muscles.