Fitness

Look after yourself: A guide to getting physically ready for the season

FORMER SURREY, MIDDLESEX, WORCESTERSHIRE AND ENGLAND LIONS WICKETKEEPER BEN SCOTT, FOUNDER OF KINETIC CRICKET, REVEALS WHY PREPARING YOUR BODY FOR THE UPCOMING SEASON IS MORE IMPORTANT NOW THAN EVER...

Why is it vital that club players prepare for the new campaign? Cricket movements and shapes are not natural to the body. Our ankles, knees, hips and shoulders were not designed to run up, hurl our bodies into the air, land on one leg and throw 10 times our bodyweight in force into the ground. Or standing side on all day wielding a chunk of wood.

We create a tolerance to these movements by building up exposure and basically being match-fit. This year, however, many of our kit bags haven’t moved from the shed and our specific strengths that held our body together playing cricket have either drifted away or changed.

Many people during the lockdowns would have tried to keep fit for personal reasons but now more than ever

it’s important to turn to the specific training that made surviving a cricket season a realistic task.

What are the risks involved in not preparing for physical activity again? The obvious fear is injury. Some people enjoy fitness and training but, I get it, some people really don’t. Improving your game and giving yourself the edge is one thing, but for those that don’t like exercise the cold hard fact is that as we get older you have a decision to make. I either prepare my body or risk not playing the game I love.

Being fit for cricket is about survival. I played 15 years of professional cricket and didn’t miss a game through injury. I always felt that I had an element of control over my body. There are plenty of cracks you can fall through in professional sports and being injury prone was one I wanted to seal.

I’ve had many clients coming to me at 40-50 years old having never really exercised looking to try and extend their playing careers as long as they can because they love the game so much and hate the idea of being sidelined.

But what if you’re struggling for motivation? Lockdown has been tough... There’s a difference between motivation and discipline. Motivation is doing laps of the field in 25 degrees with a lovely smell of freshly cut grass. Discipline is dragging yourself out of bed in February, putting on wet trainers and hitting the road or turning Netflix off, moving the coffee table and working out. Motivation can be difficult but it is important that we recognise any rut. Be motivated by the knock-on effects of being in good shape. Being ready for the cricket season is great, but being healthy transcends the cricket pitch and sets you up in all other areas of life.

FOUR STEPS TO FITNESS SUCCESS, WITH BEN SCOTT

POSITIVE CYCLE

I often refer to positive and negative feedback loops with my clients. For example: train well, eat well, sleep well, get energised, feel like training well; and a negative loop being the opposite. Identify your own loop and focus on where you can break that cycle. Improving any part of that cycle will have a knockon effect and progressively you will start to climb out and on your way to where and who you want to be.

CREATE GOOD HABITS

Build a specific set of warmup exercises that are nonnegotiable every time you are within sight of a cricket pitch. The routine only needs to be five minutes long.

You’ll know if you need to do more but keep it manageable and you’re far more likely to do it. There is a trick I use with clients called habit stacking where you bolt on a habit you want to include with a habit you already do. For example, try some standing leg swings while cleaning your teeth. It might drive your partner mad but your teammates will love you for coming back for that second spell.

BASIC FITNESS

A base level of cardio fitness is always a good place to start. Aim for being comfortable running for about 20 minutes. If you struggle to find the time then even breaking down three 10-minute walks during the day will keep the activity levels up. Look to build your workload incrementally in the lead-up to the season.

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

The forgotten part of preparation for cricket is nutrition. If you are eating well and remaining hydrated then you will have the energy and drive to fulfil the challenges listed above. It is key to hit your protein and water requirements.

Protein volumes can be calculated in various ways but I like to use a ratio of 1 to 1.6g of protein to 1kg body weight as a starting point. So if you weight 75kg you look to eat between 75g-120g per day. This will aid recovery and also satisfy hunger as protein is very filling.

With water, try to consume 1ml for every calorie you take on. So if you’re eating 2,300 calories a day, try and match that with 2.3 litres of water.