Christmas will be about finding time to relax and unwind after the battle that 2020 has been, says Para squad archer, Phoebe Pine: "My restricted festivities will include watching the movie Elf repeatedly and eating. A lot! So how do I fit in training?"
I would usually just take off Christmas Day and Boxing Day from training, allocating those days to spend distraction-free time with family, though that will be different this year. As the weather worsens and days shorten, you may find you have less time and motivation to shoot. This is how I maintain my fitness over the Christmas period, and hopefully you can too:
- Use bands to replicate shots, so that I can do it indoors in the warm.
- Visualise; this means working through the shot in your mind, remembering how it feels, rather than actually shooting. This teaches your brain what a good shot is, so it has a higher chance of replicating it later.
- Maintain or develop a fitness plan using bands or just random objects - if you're unsure, check out Archery GB's social media and YouTube channel where there are lots of ideas!
- Take a break. It's been a really rough year, so if you just want to take the Christmas period off, do it. Once you come back to shooting you might find you feel more refreshed.
- Create goals - if you are working towards something, you'll find that you're more motivated to shoot. Either look to what competitions you can get or just some personal development.
- Train with friends over video chat - shooting alone can get boring quickly so involving friends can really help!
Finally, my archery New Year's resolution is to up my arrow volumes. What's yours?
Photo: World Archery
