SoccerFit Solo - a real calorie-burner

So you're going to one of our regular SoccerFit group sessions, or benefitting from the dedicated services of our specialist SoccerFit 1-2-1 Personal Trainers, what else can you do? Well, lots really, in fact, try SoccerFit Solo - getting out there on your own, just you and your football, and working hard, on your juggling, your tricks, dribbling, weaving, heading and just having some great fun. Even half an hour of SoccerFit Solo a day work will really zap those calories and help with weight control efforts. And the other amazing thing...it's absolutely free, it doesn't cost a cent.

This I think is one of the great undiscovered benefits of soccer, possibly moreso than any other sport. Because so much emphasis in soccer is on close in control of the ball with the legs (and other body parts), there is an enormous range of moves and body actions that one can apply to maintain ball control. The greater the range of actions, and the expertise with which you can implement them, the better your in-game performance can get (if indeed you wish to play competitively, or even socially). Many ball control actions place a high energy demand on your body and generally, the more complex the movement, the more energy your body must output - this is where some serious calorie burning can kick in.

A small experiment I often run at our SoccerFit sessions demonstrates this principle in a very simple way. Firstly we run with speed over a short distance (30 metres or so) turn and run back to the original starting point. We then effectively repeat the exercise, but this time dribbling a ball and maintaining close control over it. Although this is at a slower pace than the first activity, when it is completed I ask the participants which felt more challenging. The majority typically say that the latter activity using the ball was significantly more intensive.

I am not suggesting that all fitness activities need to be intensive - generally a balanced mix of light and heavier activities make for a great workout - but if time is short, and you want to achieve a raised level of intensity, a 20 or 30 minute SoccerFit Solo session is a great option.

Not to mention that well-executed control skills are the most beautiful facet of the game. We all gasp in admiration when Portugal's Christian Ronaldo dodges effortlessly past a handful of big-name professional defenders and slides the ball with pin-point accuracy past an equally world-famous goalkeeper. Though very few people can ever expect to approximate the skills of Christian Ronaldo, at a more basic level, we can all work on our skills as a way to enrich our love and appreciation of the game.

There is an endless amount of things to try during SoccerFit Solo, and if you are ever short of inspiration, please feel free to ask our SoccerFit trainers for a new drill or a new juggling style to try.

Please observe suitable health and safety precautions when undertaking any form of exercise or physical acitivity. Click here to access the SoccerFit Health Safety and Risk Awareness Guidelines.

To visit the SoccerFit website, please click here