This final post in the blog series deals with cooling down and recovery, which is very important for any football player’s health. It is often ignored which leads to complications later on. So, pay attention as you read and ensure you follow this between training sessions on the field. By doing the cool down exercises diligently, you can ensure you return to practice the next day recouped and ready for the intensive session.

Begin with slow jogging in a group. You can remove your shin guards and other protection at this stage. Include knee ups, arm rotation and any other dynamic movement along with regular jogging. After an intensive training session, this cool down helps you flush out the lactic acid that has built up during practice.

Post the slow jog, you can do some simple flexibility training exercises. Sitting on the ground, shake your legs in both directions. Raise your legs and lightly tap the other leg a few times, alternating between both legs. While remaining seated, stretch your arms and try to touch your toes, without applying too much pressure. Now bend your legs backward and try to touch the ground behind you. Hold that position for a minute. Come back to the sitting position and repeat this a few times.

Next, lie on your tummy and do the cobra pose to relax your back muscles. High-intensity exercises tend to strain your back, and hence this cool down is also crucial. Now get back to the sitting position and raise your legs up and slightly backward, and hold the position for a short while. Stretch your legs in both directions.

Finally, lie down flat, close your eyes and just relax. We recommend a hot and cold shower and a good diet (with carbohydrates, ~300-400 calories) post the cool down. After two hours, you can have another ~300-400 calories high carbohydrate meal which will help you recover faster.

You could use a heart rate monitor the next morning to check if you have recovered. If the reading has gone down, then it means your fitness level is improving. If it is still high, then your body has not fully recovered and requires more rest. Remember to use the exercises you have just read about to cool down after every practice session going forward.

That brings you to the end of this blog on learning football with Santosh Kashyap. If you’ve been reading consistently through the 25 posts and practising the techniques on-field, you would surely have seen significant progress in terms of skill. Go back and read any posts you may have missed, so you don’t miss out on important techniques. Keep practising and you’re sure to become a better football player in no time!