In the intensity of football pre-season, recovery isn’t a luxury, it’s a necessity. Whether you're an elite athlete, academy player, or committed amateur, how you recover can define how well you perform, adapt, and stay injury-free.
At King Performance Ideology (KPI), we see recovery as a key pillar of performance. In this guide, we outline the core strategies every footballer should follow to stay fresh, healthy, and ready to train at their best.
The Big Rocks of Recovery
Before chasing fancy gadgets or trendy hacks, focus on what matters most. These foundational recovery behaviours make the biggest impact.
Sleep
- Aim for 7 to 9 hours of high-quality sleep per night.
- Maintain consistent sleep and wake times, even on weekends.
- Establish a wind-down routine: no screens an hour before bed, block blue light, keep the room cool and quiet, and avoid eating close to bedtime.
- Create a morning routine: avoid the snooze button, hydrate early, get sunlight, and move your body to set your circadian rhythm.
- Include short naps (20–30 mins) to aid recovery, especially after tough sessions.
Rest
- Schedule downtime: get your feet up, stay off your legs when you can, and keep both activity and mental stress low between sessions.
Nutrition & Hydration
- Eat to fuel performance and recovery: prioritise protein, carbohydrates, and micronutrients.
- Stay hydrated throughout the day, not just around training.
Click here to view our full nutrition guide
Load Management
Recovery starts with how you train. Planning and managing load properly prevents burnout and injuries.
- Monitor if you’re over or under training as both can impact performance.
- Aim for consistency and rhythm in your weekly schedule. The goal is repeatability.
- Vary load and don’t stack high-intensity sessions back-to-back. Use a mix of high and low days.
- Avoid monotony in session type, volume, and intensity.
- Be forward-thinking and plan 1–2 weeks ahead to allow for rest blocks, matches, and travel.
Bonus Practices
These aren’t essential but done correctly, they can boost your recovery, especially during intense phases of pre-season.
Active Recovery Options
- Light spin on a bike to flush the legs.
- Walks, especially outdoors in nature.
- Swimming or hydrotherapy for low-impact movement.
- Mobility sessions or yoga to reduce stiffness and restore joint range.
Recovery Tools
Use these tools wisely. Recovery is individual, and not all tools suit all athletes.
- Massage can aid muscle relaxation and reduce tension.
- Compression garments may help with muscle soreness and swelling.
- Blood Flow Restriction (BFR) training can maintain strength during deload periods.
- Electronic Muscle Stimulators (EMS) stimulate blood flow and assist muscle recovery.
- Foam rolling to promote tissue mobility and reduce tightness.
Holistic Recovery Practices
It’s not just physical. Your mindset, mood, and environment all affect how well you recover.
- Direct sunlight exposure in the morning and evening helps regulate your sleep and energy.
- Explore non-sleep deep rest (NSDR) techniques like meditation or breathing to reset your nervous system.
- Spend time with loved ones! Supportive relationships reduce stress and improve wellbeing.
- Make space to laugh, enjoy hobbies, and disconnect from football when appropriate. This boosts mental freshness and motivation.
There’s no single recovery tool that replaces the basics. Sleep, nutrition, and smart training are your foundation. But when layered with personalised strategies from active recovery to mindset tools, you’ll not only survive pre-season, you’ll thrive in it. If you're serious about maximising your performance this pre-season, recovery isn’t optional, it’s your competitive edge.
Ready to take your recovery seriously? Join KPI’s pre-season support programme and build a plan that works for you.
