Speed up recovery and raise your game!

Playing 5-a-side football, especially as the years seem to accelerate faster than my pace down the wing, brings with it challenges beyond just those on the pitch.

At the start of the game, I’m warmed up and ready to go—though, admittedly, I’ve often already forgotten the captain’s instructions. By the end, however, it’s a different story: joints aching, muscles stiff as boards, and my shins carrying a bruise or two from mistimed tackles. As fatigue sets in, timing and balance go right out the window.

The aches feel worse after a tough loss (which happens more often than I’d like), or if it’s rained the entire hour. We trudge off the pitch, grumbling about how it’s time to grow up and give up.

 But all those thoughts disappear once I get home. After a quick shower to rinse off the mud and sweat, I ease into the hot tub, letting the warm water work its magic on sore muscles. The tension melts away, and so does any lingering frustration from the game.

By then, the next game is already calling. I’m looking forward to it, daydreaming about banging one into the top corner—scoring the winner for Spurs against Arsenal in a cup final.

By the time I step out of the hot tub, I’m refreshed, rejuvenated, and eager for the next match. Because no matter how much the body complains, the heart always finds a way back to the pitch.