Thorough physical conditioning will prepare the athlete's body for effective sports performance with a low risk of injury or illness. Athletes who want to play with more power, speed, agility, and endurance will pay careful attention to their fitness programs. Several key elements go together to help you increase your conditioning.

Aerobic Fitness

Many sports have an element of aerobic fitness in them. Running up and down a basketball court efficiently requires good cardiovascular health. When a football player runs for the touchdown, he needs well-developed lungs and heart to get him where he is going. Aerobic conditioning can be increased through interval training, running and cycling, to name a few.

Aerobic endurance is also a major advantage in many sports. If you are still up and running after your opponents have begun to slow down, you will improve your chances of winning. Increasing the distance of the running or cycling can improve your aerobic endurance over time.

Strength Conditioning

There are different ideas among coaches about what constitutes good strength conditioning for athletes. Some prefer bodyweight exercises, while others prefer that their players work out with free weights or weight machines. Any form of resistance training that can be increased gradually can have the effect of upping your conditioning level at a steady rate. Weights and gym equipment can be used in training for strength with a steady percentage of the athlete's ever changing 1 rep max. Strength endurance is usually trained with lighter weights for many more repetitions.

Flexibility Conditioning

Conditioning the body for the quick and varying movements during sports is one of the surest ways to prevent injury. Drills using lateral running or jumping movements can help the athlete get ready for similar situations during sports events. When the player has to side-step to avoid a tackle or a takedown, his body is ready for the quick adjustment, and his ankles or knees are less likely to give way in the process. His muscles hold strong and keep him from injuring himself during the movement.

Speed Conditioning

One other way to condition your body for sports is to work on speed performance. Different types of sprinting can be used as speed drills. Uphill and downhill sprinting, for example, train two different aspects of running and speed. Put them together and you have a more balanced program. Once the body is conditioned for running and moving at greater speeds, sports performance can improve dramatically.

Conditioning for the athlete should be sport-specific to a certain extent. Exercise and workout programs should be planned with attention to the needs of the athlete on the field of play. The best way to increase sports conditioning is to start by identifying the conditioning you need for your sport, figure out what it will take to achieve that level of conditioning, and get to work making it happen.