Diving into Success: The Importance of Staying Active During Longer Breaks

As passionate swimmers, a swimming pool is more than just simply water, it is a realm of dedication, discipline and determination. For us the season ended at the German nationals in July, giving us the month of August off and a well deserved break. Over the years we have come to appreciate this break more than ever using these 3 weeks as a way to recharge on a physical and mental level. Not only, but we have also discovered these 3 weeks to be the ultimate deciding factor to the success in the upcoming seasons. So what do we do during such a break? When we are on holiday we have 2 options,  we can either just sit on the coach or beach (if we are lucky) the whole day or we can continue staying active and challenge ourselves with new experiences. If you know us well, you know which option we like take! So let us give you a glimpse of what a holiday looks like for Team Razzo.

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Preventing Detrimental Setbacks

When the holidays start, we like to use this time to reflect on the season highlighting our “glows” and “grows”. Whatever happens during the year we always remind ourselves how far we have come and we embrace the lessons collected along the way (positive and negative) with open arms. This reflection process is crucial for setting the right intentions in our daily practices and the new season to come. For it is the fire within that drives us and guides us to success.

‍‍‍Sustaining Cardiovascular Fitness

Taking a break doesn't mean our hearts and lungs should take a vacation too. We like to use this free time to do the things we otherwise wouldn't have the time to do during our busy schedules throughout the year. We like to explore various avenues for low aerobic training, including ocean swimming, hiking, canoeing and a regular pool session focused on technique & connection. We generally build our low aerobic session in the mornings and we decide spontaneously on the spot what we feel like doing. This gives us the space to be open to alternatives and simply having a good time training and sweating.

‍Preserving Mental Toughness

Swimming is as much a mental game as it is a physical one. Longer breaks can sometimes lead to a dip in motivation or even a struggle to get back into the training routine. During such longer breaks, we have made the experience of falling into a dark hole of emptiness by not having had a clear goal and some sort of structure throughout the day. This is why staying active, whether through swimming or engaging in other physical activities we enjoy, helps us sustain our mental resilience and keep that competitive fire alive. We particularly like to put a lot of emphasis in our daily yoga practices and meditating in nature to calm the mind, ground ourselves and stay in harmony with our organism.

Injury Prevention

While swimming is a fantastic sport for our mind and body, repetitive workouts over the year, can also lead to overuse injuries. A break is an ideal time to address any niggling injuries, but it's also crucial to engage in injury-prevention exercises. Strengthening supporting muscles and incorporating flexibility routines allow our bodies to stay healthy and injury-resistant. This is why our team meeting at the beginning of the holiday is crucial to be aware of the areas for growth. We spend a lot of our land workouts focusing on mobility and specifically canceling any sort of imbalances that have hindered us during the season.  

‍Exploring New Avenues

The afternoons are for adventures, meaning exploring new places, traveling and getting out of our comfort zones. As active people we love to explore and try other sports. We have tested rock climbing, canoeing, stand up paddling and surfing. Whatever challenge comes our way, we like to dive in and test ourselves. We have learnt that these trial periods are great for getting to know our bodies and ourselves but most importantly gaining new stimuli for the new season ahead. Luisa has discovered her new passion for canoeing whereas I’m obsessed with body surfing and free-diving.

As professional swimmers, we can state that we all are the epitome of dedication and athleticism and even during well-deserved breaks, our commitment to excellence shines through. We can confidently say that by staying active and engaged in physical activities during these periods, we can ensure that our bodies and minds remain in prime condition, ready to tackle the challenges of the pool with renewed energy and determination.

Remember, a break is a chance to recharge, not to retreat – embrace it and come back stronger than ever before!