6 Tips for Staying Engaged With Swimming During the Off-Season
You’ve crossed the finish line. The taper worked, your splits were sharp, and the post-race high has finally settled. Now what?
For many triathletes and swimmers, the period after a big race, or during the off-season, can feel uncertain. The structure that defined your training disappears, and motivation often dips with it.
But this phase is more valuable than most realize. Done right, it can be the best time all year to improve your foundation, reconnect with the joy of swimming, and set yourself up for the season ahead.
1. Don’t Stop, Shift Gears
After a major event, taking a short break makes sense. Your body needs to recover. But completely stepping away from the water for months can lead to an unnecessary rebuild later.
Instead, think of this as your maintenance phase: dial back intensity and volume while keeping a consistent routine.
Staying active through the off-season preserves your base fitness and swim feel. According to our data team, FORM swimmers who kept swimming at least once a week during the off-season improved their pace per 100m, gaining 6 seconds per 100m compared to those who took a break.
Regular off-season swimmers also maintained stronger endurance, covering 400m further per session on average than non-regular swimmers when they resumed training at the start of the new season. Staying consistent through the off-season certainly pays off when it comes to preparing for your new race season, and also makes it easier to ramp back up when training resumes.
Keep swimming. Just swim differently. Shorter, easier sessions now make harder work later less challenging.
2. Build Your Foundation
Now is the best time of year to make meaningful technical improvements. When you’re not chasing race paces or logging long-distance sessions, you can focus on the finer details that make you more efficient.
This could mean:
- Spending more time on drills and stroke mechanics
- Practicing breathing patterns or body position
- Building strength and mobility outside the pool
In other words, this is your “investment season.” Every skill you refine now pays off when the intensity returns.
3. Reflect on Your Last Season
Use this period to evaluate your performance, honestly.
Ask yourself:
- What parts of your swim felt strongest?
- Where did you struggle? Pace consistency, endurance, focus, fueling or navigation?
- What did your data tell you about your progress?
FORM data makes this reflection easy. Reviewing your swim history in the FORM App can show trends over time: whether your stroke rate improved, how fatigue affects your pace, or which workouts delivered the biggest gains.
Use these insights to decide what to focus on next.
4. Set a New Objective
Once you’ve reflected, set a new goal or objective for the months ahead. This doesn’t need to be another race. Think of it as a purpose for your training.
Maybe it’s:
- Improving your pace per 100m by 5 seconds
- Building more efficient turns
- Swimming three times a week consistently
From there, create a HeadCoach™ Plan tailored to your new objective, based on either Endurance, Technique, Fitness, Speed, Cross-Training or Recovery. You can even focus on one of our five HeadCoach™ Skills to hone your technique and redefine your swim discipline.
This provides a sense of structure and direction while keeping things fun!
5. Start Planning for Next Season
When the next season begins, you’ll thank yourself for starting early.
Use this window to think ahead:
- What are your next big goals?
- Which race or challenge excites you most?
- What do you need to be doing now to arrive confident, prepared, and strong?
Work backward from your goal and build a roadmap. Think about your training, skills, and mindset, all aligned with the swim you want to achieve when it comes to getting on the blocks or toeing your next start line.
6. Keep It Fun
The off-season doesn’t have to feel like a grind. Mix things up:
- Try some new equipment - paddles, fins, or a snorkel
- Swim with friends or a Masters group
- Set yourself holiday-themed challenges
The goal is to stay connected to the water and to the rhythm of training.
The Bottom Line
Your season doesn’t end when your racing stops. The best swimmers know that progress is a year-round process, and after your race is done, your training takes on a different shape.
Keep swimming, reflect, refocus, and re-engage. Because every off-season you stay consistent, you’re not starting over, you’re starting ahead!
