Summer is coming up, which might cause some athletes to lose focus on their upcoming season, especially if they play a winter or spring sport like basketball or lacrosse. However, there are many ways to exercise during the summer, especially with the amount of free time and lack of schoolwork. Summer is a good time for athletes to get in shape and evolve in their sport. One way for students to stay healthy during the summer is to create a good sleep schedule. Sleeping in and staying up late, however tempting, can mess up their schedule and interfere with their workouts. Student-athletes should consider waking up at 6:00-7:00 a.m., meaning they should also go to sleep at 10:00-11:00 p.m. to ensure they get around 8 hours of sleep every night. Students can also ensure they stay on schedule by turning off devices 15-30 minutes before sleep. Studies from the National Sleep Foundation claim that doing so can help your brain wind down and increase a person’s sleep quality.A sleep schedule should also include a workout schedule. Students should plan their workouts daily and stay on schedule. However, they should also have recovery days to ensure they’re at their best for their next workout. Dynamic stretching can be a good way to recover because it increases joint and muscle mobility, which may help prevent injury. Another good strategy is for students to keep track of their goals. Studies from Forbes show that people who wrote down their goals had a 42% higher chance of staying on top of them and completing them. Writing them in a notebook, on the wall, or even keeping them on their phones can help student-athletes stay focused for the summer. The type of training you do is also important to staying in shape. Students who are athletes should train like athletes, not as bodybuilders. Most players start lifting in the off-season because they don’t have much to do, but this can cause injury and muscle imbalances.A good workout that athletes could look into over the summer is plyometrics. Plyometrics are workouts that make athletes more reactive and increase their jumping ability. Sports like soccer, football, and basketball can make any player even better. Plyometrics include box jumps, squats, and jump roping; any workouts can make someone a better player. Another way a student can improve in their sport this summer is to look into a good diet. Watching your diet and eating more nutrient-dense foods can help you recover after workouts. Foods like rice bowls, yogurt, and pasta dishes are easy to digest and help you recover from a workout. Drinking water throughout the day, during workouts, and after workouts is also good. Staying hydrated can help heal bone structure from workouts and deliver necessary nutrients to an injured area. Depending on when a student-athletes season starts, they should check if the team is hosting workouts or consider joining a travel team. Most teams, such as the basketball, soccer, and football teams, host summer workouts, which are a good way to get to know the coaches better and get practice before tryouts. Students could also join a travel team to gain experience in their sport and get to know more people. Staying in shape over the summer before the sports season starts is a good way to be more prepared than the other players for the next season.