Avoiding Injury When Returning to Exercise
We’ve had a great holiday, and perhaps had a pause from our routines. But now is the time to get back to it, and start 2023 off by resuming our fitness goals. So how do we avoid injury when returning to exercise after a break?
We can probably all agree that for many people, the holidays represent a well-earned break from everything, including our regular physical activity. Our intensity may have dropped, our workouts have become less consistent, and for many, it may have been a luxurious few weeks of beaches, daytime naps and reading. With this in mind, let’s not kid ourselves by thinking we are able to pick up exactly where we left off, or worse, go hell for leather and suffer the consequences when we start back up again.
How do you avoid injury?
Firstly, patience is key!
Give yourself this first month to work back up to where you were before. As an example, for this first week reduce your intensity/ load by 60% (compared to what you were doing before). Whether it was pilates, walking, running or a workout at the gym start slowly with a few under your belt, then by next week increase that to 70%.
Keep going in this manner, and after 4 weeks you’re back up at 100%. Not only is this a simple and easy way to progressively overload your muscles and tissues so they grow and develop in a healthy and sustainable way, but the little wins you will achieve from smashing those reduced workouts will only spur you on to want to reach that 100%, and then some more beyond this.
Prevention
The second thing we’re going to consider is preventative exercises to help you to avoid getting injured. And there is no better time to start. Let’s say your kids are returning to footy, lacrosse, and soccer training. These sports have a heavy bias towards lower limb strength, particularly the ability to rotate and change direction at speed. Seeing as we’ve had a few month’s break from these specific skills, why not consider strengthening our hips, glutes, and adductors to tolerate this load? You’ll find a couple of really easy examples of this on our social media.
A good warm-up is crucial
There are many injury prevention protocols available, but an easy one to implement during your warm-ups is FIFA 11+. Not only has this type of protocol been shown to prevent injuries from occurring but it’s also shown to reduce the severity of the injury if it does happen. It includes simple strength movements, contact preparation and specific movement patterns to prepare the body for the sport. Take a look here at this download:
Need more help?
Finally, if you’re still unsure of how to manage your fitness goals for 2023, come in and get properly assessed by our Physiotherapist Rachel Hunt or Exercise Physiologist Jordan Tripodi. At Williamstown Health + Lifestyle we can use handheld dynamometry to provide us with an accurate and reproducible measurement of your strength.
This can be localised to particular muscle groups or certain movements. It’s used primarily to highlight any asymmetries but also discovers hidden weaknesses that your body may be compensating for. A good level of strength is the base of any sport or exercise requiring you to move your body at high speeds, in loaded positions, or in a powerful way. Ensure your body is capable of what you want to do and test it out. Book online or over the phone and ask for ‘muscle strength testing’ in your physiotherapy appointment.
Maybe you could consider our 6-week gym challenge. It’s an excellent way to get back on track under the guidance of Jordan our exercise physiologist. Our group classes are small and our studio is a safe and inclusive environment for all abilities. It’s also an ideal entry point if you have never entered the gym environment before. Bring a friend, and join together.
As always we at Williamstown Health + Lifestyle are more than happy to help with any questions or concerns. We want to keep you strong and injury-free so you can play sports and exercise in a way that you love.
Call our reception team (03) 9397 8877 or book online here if you want to get started.
