How professional footballers relax away from the pitch

The increasingly packed schedule in professional football worldwide is making it much more difficult for players to spend time relaxing.

The gap between seasons is now virtually non-existent, while the endless churn of fixtures during the campaign puts a massive strain on players.

Given the current landscape in football, it is imperative for players to find ways to relax to ensure they can cope with the demands being placed on them.

With that in mind, read on as we look at some of the ways professional footballers relax away from the pitch, starting with an activity which has become hugely popular.

Nicotine pouches

A collaborative study by the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) and Loughborough University found that around one-fifth of players are using nicotine pouches to relax.

Most of the players used legal tobacco-free nicotine pouches rather than tobacco-based snus, but often used the term ‘snus’ to refer to the products.

Players commonly use the pouches after training, post-game and on days off. Many of those individuals are playing in top level leagues.

Jamie Vardy, Marcus Rashford and Victor Lindelof are among the current professional footballers who are known to have used nicotine pouches.

Summer & winter breaks

The concept of summer and winter breaks for relaxation purposes is nothing new, but their importance to modern footballers cannot be understated.

As mentioned earlier, the close season has become extremely truncated, particularly for players who play for the top clubs and national teams worldwide.

Some leagues implement a winter break, although these appear to have become an excuse for clubs to play friendlies in some countries.

On that basis, taking a summer or winter break and spending that time relaxing has become a key element for many players across the global.

Visualisation & goal setting

Sports science is now firmly embedded in professional football. Its many elements are used to improve performance, both physically and mentally.

Visualisation and goal setting may seem like an odd way to relax, but the routines are an invaluable tool that many top-class players have utilised.

These include Wayne Rooney and David Beckham, both of whom used visualisation and goal setting as part of their relaxation processes.

By creating multi-sensory experiences through imagining the sounds, smells and physical sensations of successful performance, Rooney and Beckham were able to improve themselves while relaxing.

Mindfulness & meditation practices

An extensive study of professional players found that a six-week mindfulness programme helped them gain a better understanding of the importance of relaxation.

Manchester City and Norway striker Erling Braut Haaland is an advocate of mindfulness and meditation practices, a point he hammers home with his goal celebration.

Haaland seeks to relax in stillness, recharging his mind, body and soul to ensure he can cope with the demands place on him by club and country.

Cristiano Ronaldo and Mohamed Salah are other major stars who have recognised the benefits provided by meditation as a relaxation technique.

Power naps & sleep

Sleep is often one of the first things that suffers when people are busy and this undoubtedly rings true where professional footballers are concerned.

Research has shown that players who fail to get the requisite amount of sleep at night are much more likely to sustain injuries than those who do.

Sleep has been proven to aid performance, with around eight hors per night widely recognised as the sweet spot for most healthy adults.

Many people also advocate power naps as a useful tool. Former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson strongly advocated this during his career.

How professional footballers relax away from the pitch