Are you a golfer? Runner? Soccer player? Rower? Baseball player?
Whatever your summer sport, the off-season is your secret weapon. At Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic in Oakville, we help athletes of all levels move better, stay healthy, and perform at their best when the season begins.
Year after year, the pattern is clear:
athletes who invest in off-season strengthening, physiotherapy and movement work start their season stronger, and spend less time sidelined.
Why the Off-Season Matters
Real physical progress doesn’t happen overnight.
Building strength, improving mobility, and correcting movement patterns all take time. Muscles can adapt within several weeks, but tendons, ligaments, and other connective tissues take longer to remodel and become more resilient. Meaningful changes in flexibility, joint control, and stability also require consistent, progressive work.
During the season, schedules are packed with practices, games, and travel. Recovery becomes the priority, and there’s limited time or energy to truly rebuild or address underlying weaknesses.
The off-season is different. It’s the ideal window to:
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Build foundational strength
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Improve mobility and joint mechanics
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Address lingering aches or previous injuries
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Refine movement patterns
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Increase overall capacity and resilience
Once your season begins, the focus shifts toward maintaining what you’ve built.
The off-season is when you create it.
Sports That Benefit From Winter Training
⛳ Golf Off-Season Training in Oakville
Golf places repetitive rotational stress on the spine, hips, shoulders, and elbows. Without proper preparation, early-season golfers often experience flare-ups once volume increases.
Common Golf Injuries We Treat in Oakville:
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Low back pain (lumbar strain, facet irritation, disc-related pain)
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Hip stiffness or hip impingement (especially lead hip)
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Golfer’s elbow (medial epicondylitis)
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Tennis elbow (lateral epicondylitis)
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Rotator cuff injuries and shoulder impingement
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Wrist pain (TFCC irritation, tendinopathy)
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De Quervain’s or thumb pain
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Injuries related to indoor winter golf training:
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Wrist and elbow strain from hitting off hard mats
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Lead wrist overload injuries
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Shoulder strain from high-volume simulator sessions
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Acute low back flare-ups from reduced mobility in colder months
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Our golf-specific approach at Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic:
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Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) Assessment to identify swing-related limitations
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Hip and thoracic mobility work
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Core and rotational strength training
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Lower body and glute strength to protect the spine
Off-season training allows golfers to build strength and mobility now, so they can maintain performance and play pain-free throughout the season.
Click here to learn more about strength training in the off season for golfers.
🏃 Running Off-Season Training & Gait Analysis in Oakville
As the weather improves, running volume often increases quickly, which is why spring is a high-risk period for injury.
Common running injuries:
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Shin splints
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Achilles and plantar fascia pain
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Knee pain
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Hip and glute overload injuries
How we support runners at Sheddon Physiotherapy:
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Running gait analysis to assess mechanics and loading patterns
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Strength training for hips, glutes, and calves
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Foot and ankle load tolerance training
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Core and pelvic stability work
Using the off-season to address gait mechanics and build strength helps runners stay consistent and avoid the classic spring injury cycle.
Click here to learn more about the gait analysis we do at Sheddon for runners.
⚾ Baseball & Softball Off-Season Training in Oakville
Throwing volume increases rapidly once games begin, placing stress on the shoulder, elbow, and lower body.
Common injuries:
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Shoulder and elbow pain
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Rotator cuff overload
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Low back pain
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Forearm and grip issues
Off-season focus:
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Shoulder and scapular stability
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Rotator cuff and forearm strength
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Core and lower body power
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Gradual throwing preparation
Building strength during February–April allows athletes to tolerate throwing demands once the season starts, rather than reacting to pain mid-season.
⚽ Outdoor Soccer Off-Season Training in Oakville
Soccer requires sprinting, cutting, jumping, and contact, all of which demand strong, resilient tissues.
Common soccer injuries we see:
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ACL and knee injuries
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Hamstring strains
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Groin and hip pain
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Ankle sprains
Off-season focus:
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Lower body strength (quads, glutes, hamstrings)
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Change-of-direction control
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Plyometric preparation
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Trunk and core stability
Off-season strength allows soccer players to enter the season ready to maintain performance instead of managing injuries.
🎾 Tennis & Pickleball (Outdoor Season)
These sports are highly repetitive and asymmetrical, often leading to overuse injuries.
Common injuries:
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Tennis elbow
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Shoulder pain
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Wrist and forearm strain
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Low back stiffness
- Ankle injuries
Off-season focus:
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Shoulder and scapular control
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Forearm and grip strength
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Rotational core strength
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Hip mobility and power
Click here to learn some exercises to prevent injury in Pickleball players.
Movement Screening for All Sports
We use comprehensive movement screening to guide off-season training.
At Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic in Oakville, movement screening helps us:
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Identify mobility restrictions
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Detect strength imbalances
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Assess control during sport-specific movements
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Build individualized injury prevention programs
This ensures off-season training is targeted — not generic.
One of the biggest advantages of off-season training at Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic is our close integration with Oakville Athletic Academy (OAA). Because we work directly within the OAA facility, our therapists have access to their turf, strength equipment, and performance spaces.
This allows us to:
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Progress rehab and off-season training in a true sport environment
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Replicate sport-specific movements, loads, and positions
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Collaborate closely with performance and coaching staff when needed
Rather than stopping at the treatment table, we can take athletes onto the gym floor and ensure their off-season work actually carries over to the season ahead.
Click here to learn more about movement screening.
Why Start Your Off-Season Training Now?
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Strength gains take 8-12 weeks to develop
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Tendons adapt slowly
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Waiting until your season starts is already too late
February to April is the window where the biggest improvements can be made.
At Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic, we combine:
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Physiotherapy assessment
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Sport-specific movement analysis
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Individualized strength programming
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Injury prevention strategies
Whether you’re a golfer, runner, soccer player, or recreational athlete, off-season training sets the foundation for a healthier, more successful season.
The Bottom Line
If your sport peaks in spring or summer, your preparation starts now.
Off-season training isn’t about doing more, it’s about doing the right things at the right time.
Call now to book an assessment:
905-849-4576
Frequently Asked Questions
Is physiotherapy Sheddon Physiotherapy and Sports Clinic in Oakville only for injured athletes?
No. Many athletes in Oakville use physiotherapy for injury prevention, off-season planning, and movement screening before pain or injuries occur.
How does off-season training help prevent injuries?
Off-season training helps prevent injuries by building strength, improving mobility, and increasing tissue tolerance before the season begins.
What is a movement screen in physiotherapy?
A movement screen assesses how your body moves during basic and sport-specific tasks. At our Oakville physiotherapy clinic, movement screening helps identify issues that could lead to injury once training volume increases.
Why do so many injuries happen at the start of the season?
Early-season injuries often happen because training intensity increases faster than the body can adapt. Without off-season strength training, muscles and tendons may not be prepared for the demands of spring and summer sports.
Do golfers in Oakville need physiotherapy in the off-season?
Yes. Off-season physiotherapy helps Oakville golfers improve mobility, strength, and swing efficiency. Many golfers benefit from a Titleist Performance Institute (TPI) assessment before the golf season begins.
