If a game of soccer leaves you feeling like you've run several miles, it's because you probably did. The average player covers between 5 and 7 miles during a game, according to Sport Fitness Advisor, with a combination of walking, jogging and sprinting -- forwards and backwards. The constant movement requires a high level of aerobic fitness, a goal you can achieve with aerobic soccer exercise drills.
What They Are
Aerobic drills elevate your heart rate and use large muscle groups for a sustained period with the aim of improving your endurance, stamina and overall fitness level. Unlike anaerobic drills, which focus on short, powerful bursts of activity, aerobic drills are concerned with keeping you going for the long haul. Aerobic drills for soccer can be done with or without the ball. Both help improve your agility and ability to move and change direction quickly. Drills with the ball have the added benefit of enhancing your ball-handling skills.
Ongoing Movement
Soccer drills that focus on aerobic training need to keep you constantly moving, generally by walking, jogging or breaking into a full run. You can keep a steady pace throughout the drills or break up your steady pace with short bursts of high-intensity intervals. Jogging at a speed of 5 mph for 30 minutes, for example, can be broken up by jogging for five minutes at 5 mph hour, running for 30 seconds, then walking for three minutes, with the cycle repeated for the entire half-hour. Other high-intensity moves can include jumping and kicking the ball.
Drills with Ball
Dribbling drills work well for an aerobic workout with the ball. A simple drill consists of dribbling the ball while jogging around the field for at least 20 minutes. Make the drills more challenging and complex by including markers or cones. Set up a line of eight cones spaced several yards apart and dribble the ball as you weave in between the cones. Tighten your skills by moving the cones closer together. Once you've mastered the straight line, set the cones in different areas around the field and dribble the ball around each cone you've set up. Move in one direction, then the other, or switch up your pattern around the cones until you've circled them all.
Drills without Ball
Soccer drills without the ball can be equally beneficial for your game, especially since you're not likely to be in possession of the ball the entire time you're on the field. Cones are useful for aerobic drills that work on your agility and speed. Set up eight cones in a zigzag pattern, each cone about 3 yards apart. Sprint from one cone to the next, briefly bending to touch each cone as you pass it. Work on using quick side steps, rather than only running forward. Another cone drill uses four cones set up to mark off a 5-square-yard area and a single cone in the middle. Number the cones around the perimeter from one to four. As your teammate calls out a number, sprint to that cone, then back to center, and then on to the next number called.
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