Not all athletes prioritize staying in shape over the summer.

The gap that falls between the end of spring sports and the start of fall preseason can provide some much needed recovery time.

Many others do focus on conditioning, whether to play their best, keep their weight in check, or simply to burn off stress.

The most common, and simplest, way to do so is to go for a long run.

It requires minimal equipment and planning. Just throw on a pair of sneakers, head outside, and put one foot in front of the other.

Yet there are downsides to distance running that can impair athletic performance.

For one, it massively interferes with sprinting mechanics, oozing a series of bad habits over to your top speed efforts.

The pounding can also create lingering aches and pains in your feet, knees, and shins.

And maybe worst of all, it gives you a false sense of improvement.

Making the effort to stay in shape is the mark of a champion, someone truly dedicated to their own success.

Just remember the time you spend jogging could be used to develop other things that will keep you fit AND help in other ways.

Like practicing a sport skill you are not great at.

Or training to get faster, more explosive, and stronger.

If you've read these posts long enough, you know I'm not a fan of distance running for team sport athletes, for all the reasons stated above.

Research on changing habits says the best way to make change isn't to simply stop something, but to replace it with a newer, better habit.

With that in mind, here are 4 more productive ways to stay lean and in shape without the negative side effects.

Tempo/Interval Runs

How is this any better than jogging?

By moving at 80% or more of your fastest speeds, you'll activate and refine your sprint mechanics.

You're also going to take fewer strides, reducing the pounding on your lower body.

A simple example is a 100 yard run at 90% of your fastest speed, followed by a 1 minute rest.

Track your times, and stop the workout once you can no longer cover this distance at 90% or more of your fastest.

A bonus benefit is this better mimics the changing pace of game play.

Nail Your Big Nutrition Rocks Every Day

Staying lean has much more to do with nutrition than your activity level.

If maintaining your athletic frame is the driving force behind jogging, channel that focus to your nutrition instead.

Make it a daily goal to achieve all of the following:

• Eat a quality protein source 3-4 times

• Eat 2 different vegetable servings

• Drink 1 ounce of water for every 2 lbs you weigh

Building an elite nutritional foundation will benefit you for a lifetime.

Minimize Junk Food Intake By Eating More Good Stuff In The AM

Subconscious cravings for sweets and high calorie foods is a survival instinct.

It's a plea for help from your body, to give it the nutrients it currently lacks.

When these moments hit, we naturally grab the most convenient thing around, which is usually junk food.

But what if you never reached that nutrient deficient stage in the first place?

That's why you want to eat a protein rich breakfast, maybe with some veggies snuck in there too.

Remember that waffles, muffins, bagels and those types of popular breakfast foods provide no real nutritional value, just empty calories.

Eat the good stuff early, and it'll tame your inner sugar monster.

Train Hard On Other Critical Athletic Skills

If you do decide to replace distance running with a greater time commitment to developing other areas, do it with intensity.

Keep the pace of your sport skill work brisk enough to elevate your heart rate throughout.

Push your limits in workouts, driving yourself to new heights.

Get your conditioning from the focused work you're doing on other skills by working as hard as you can.

That way you'll stay fit, avoid pesky overuse aches, and bring up a part of your game that needs work.