{"id":7470,"date":"2022-01-27T12:04:06","date_gmt":"2022-01-27T17:04:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2022\/01\/27\/what-is-the-point-of-a-warm-weather-winter-break\/"},"modified":"2022-01-27T12:04:06","modified_gmt":"2022-01-27T17:04:06","slug":"what-is-the-point-of-a-warm-weather-winter-break","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/2022\/01\/27\/what-is-the-point-of-a-warm-weather-winter-break\/","title":{"rendered":"What is the point of a warm weather winter break?"},"content":{"rendered":"<div>\n<p>It has come to the point in the season where the Premier League takes a break, and sides jet off around the world to indulge in \u201cwarm weather winter breaks\u201d. But what do they do, where are they going, and what could it mean for the rest of the season?<\/p>\n<p>To take but two examples, both Newcastle and Arsenal have jetted off to the middle east to enjoy some warm weather recuperation.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">\u201cI\u2019m really pleased so far. There\u2019s a few days to go and more work to be done.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>We spoke with <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/NUFC?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#NUFC<\/a> boss Eddie Howe at our warm weather training camp in Jeddah.<\/p>\n<p>\u26ab\ufe0f\u26aa\ufe0f<\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Newcastle United FC (@NUFC) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NUFC\/status\/1486324776129994754?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>And, according to sports scientist <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/3cbPerformance\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Dr. Rajpal Brar<\/a>, there are certainly mental and physical benefits to be had by opting to head to a warmer climate.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, the mental benefits outweigh the physical ones, as Brar revealed: \u201c<span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think to me the first one is, first and foremost, mental. You\u2019re able to get that break from your normal environment and routines, and just have that mental break.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cEspecially in the UK, I think with the lack of sunlight and the cold weather, all of a sudden you\u2019re going to warm weather and more sunlight, which we know can have an effect on your mood, so I always think mental first in that regard\u201d.<\/span><\/p>\n<p>Mental health is certainly becoming an increasingly important pillar in the conversations surrounding footballers, with Atalanta\u2019s Josip Ilicic the most recent player to be affected by the issues.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Gasperini confirms Ilicic is suffering from mental health issues again<\/p>\n<p>\u201cJosip goes through ups and downs, right now he\u2019s facing some trouble. There\u2019s the footballer and the person. Right now our priority is to the person.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/bC8udwElJT\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/bC8udwElJT<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Uncle $harma \ufe0f (@RSharmzz) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/RSharmzz\/status\/1485018432609394691?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 22, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>But that is not to say that there are not physical benefits to heading away too.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think one of them that people maybe underestimate is getting Vitamin D. I think research shows that something like <a href=\"https:\/\/journals.plos.org\/plosone\/article?id=10.1371\/journal.pone.0249671\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">60% of athletes in the UK are vitamin D deficient<\/a>, and that can be attributed to lack of sunlight exposure,\u201d Brar explained.<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018\u201dAnother thing is that, when you are in warmer weather, it allows you to warm up faster, so you don\u2019t have to have extended warm-up periods that cut into training time.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p>And there is even more good news for those on the treatment table over the period away.<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen you have players that are dealing with Muscular injury and niggles or whatever it is, that mental aspect is, of course, going to benefit them, while it gives you as a physio more one-on-one time with them in a positive, warm and friendly environment.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2><strong>How do clubs choose their destinations?\u00a0<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>In the cases of Arsenal and Newcastle, their training camps are chosen at least in part due to their ownership and sponsorship, heading to Dubai and Jeddah respectively.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Welcome to Saudi Arabia, <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/NUFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@NUFC<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/PIF?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#PIF<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/CifevM1Biz\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/CifevM1Biz<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Public Investment Fund (@PIF_en) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/PIF_en\/status\/1485539459055890432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 24, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Not everybody has gone, mind, with players still away on international duty both in Africa and South America, and some simply not called up to take part. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy in November, and has not featured since. Now, he isn\u2019t even on the plane to the winter camp.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\">Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang has been left out of the <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/Arsenal?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">#Arsenal<\/a> squad for the club\u2019s winter training trip to Dubai.<\/p>\n<p>More from <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/David_Ornstein?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">@David_Ornstein<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/a80t2FwpGM\" rel=\"nofollow\">https:\/\/t.co\/a80t2FwpGM<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 The Athletic UK (@TheAthleticUK) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/TheAthleticUK\/status\/1486307404950249474?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">January 26, 2022<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s not solely down to sponsors, though: Manchester United have also headed to Dubai, so why are hot countries so much preferred?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cWhen it\u2019s warmer, it\u2019s just easier for your muscles to be loose and pliable. We know heat tends to increase mobility\u201d Brar claims. \u2018This is important<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> because a lot of injuries, generally speaking, come within the first ten minutes of a player being back on the pitch because that muscle is not adapted to what you\u2019re doing, or towards the end when the muscle becomes overfatigued.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Individuals also head out to Dubai to do rehab, with Paul Pogba having headed out to the middle east in December in order to recover from his thigh injury sustained on international duty with France.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\">\n<p dir=\"ltr\" lang=\"en\"><a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/sEqVlDXp26\" rel=\"nofollow\">pic.twitter.com\/sEqVlDXp26<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Paul Pogba (@paulpogba) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/paulpogba\/status\/1467543243730653185?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">December 5, 2021<\/a><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>Choice of destination cannot all be down to sponsorship though. For instance, Chelsea, owned by Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, are rarely seen jetting off to Russia in the middle of winter for their breaks.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_766533\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-766533\" class=\"size-large wp-image-766533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-521573236-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"Roman Abramovich\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-521573236-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-521573236-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-521573236-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/12\/GettyImages-521573236-600x400.jpg 600w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-766533\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">LONDON, ENGLAND \u2013 APRIL 16: Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich looks on from the stands during the Barclays Premier League match between Chelsea and Manchester City at Stamford Bridge on April 16, 2016 in London, England. (Photo by Paul Gilham\/Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>Would clubs be as willing to undertake them to a colder climate?<\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI don\u2019t see why they would be as willing, because if you\u2019re going to move and all the logistics that brings. You don\u2019t have the same facilities either, so if you are going to move, you might as well go somewhere that is going to offer the most benefits,\u201d explains Dr Brar.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cI think clubs might still go because, let\u2019s face it, the winter up in the UK can be pretty brutal. But I don\u2019t think it\u2019s a coincidence that the teams you hear about doing this are all going to warmer climates whether it\u2019s sponsored or not.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">He continued: \u201cI think you have teams that make use of the sponsors to be able to do these things, as it makes it easier for them to do these warm-weather trips.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<h2>What are the other benefits?<\/h2>\n<p>Aside from the potential physical benefits, the winter breaks are a chance for increasing squad harmony and ensuring that players begin to pull in the same direction.<\/p>\n<p>As Brar puts it: <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u2018There\u2019s also the benefit of team camaraderie. They aren\u2019t subject to the usual media scrutiny, or team or family requests. You\u2019re literally just all there together, so it becomes a team bonding exercise while you are there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n<div id=\"attachment_1650036\" style=\"width: 1034px\" class=\"wp-caption alignnone\">\n<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" aria-describedby=\"caption-attachment-1650036\" class=\"size-large wp-image-1650036\" src=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-1024x683.jpg\" alt=\"What is the point of a warm weather winter break?\" width=\"1024\" height=\"683\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-1024x683.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-768x512.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-2048x1365.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-600x400.jpg 600w, https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/01\/GettyImages-1232849175-910x607.jpg 910w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\"><\/p>\n<p id=\"caption-attachment-1650036\" class=\"wp-caption-text\">Arsenal players huddle during the English Premier League football match between Chelsea and Arsenal at Stamford Bridge in London on May 12, 2021.\u00a0 (Photo by CATHERINE IVILL\/POOL\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>So, how will this all translate onto the pitch? <span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">\u201cIts hard to quantify,\u201d Brar begins. \u201c<\/span><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">I think the biggest thing is about freshness. Having players getting back to 100% and being, not just physically ready but mentally as well especially as teams enter into these last three months or so.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">For Newcastle, who are fighting to stay in the top flight, the boost could be enormous. For Arsenal too, it could be the difference between finishing in the top four, and having to settle for a Europa League spot or worse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<h3>Read more:<\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/news\/newcastle-offer-second-bid-of-20-million-euros-for-full-back-as-armando-broja-bid-mooted\/\" rel=\"v:url\">Newcastle offer second bid of 20 million euros for full-back as Armando Broja bid mooted<\/a><\/h3>\n<h3><a href=\"https:\/\/www.101greatgoals.com\/news\/arsenal-line-up-two-new-targets-after-vlahovic-and-guimaraes-let-down\/\" rel=\"v:url\">Arsenal line up two new targets after Vlahovic and Guimaraes let-down<\/a><\/h3>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>It has come to the point in the season where the Premier League takes a break, and sides jet off around the world to indulge in \u201cwarm weather winter breaks\u201d. But what do they do, where are they going, and what could it mean for the rest of the season? To take but two examples, [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_et_pb_use_builder":"","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12,7],"tags":[13,14],"class_list":["post-7470","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-football","category-sport","tag-football","tag-soccer","et-doesnt-have-format-content","et_post_format-et-post-format-standard"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7470","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=7470"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/7470\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=7470"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=7470"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.cyberlego.com\/web\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=7470"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}