Getting back into the gym
Over the last four months, many of us have been staying indoors, working from home and had limited access to our normal sports/exercise routines. This has undeniably resulted in general deconditioning in our strength, mobility and perhaps an increase in weight due to lower energy outputs. Being active is vital to longer term good health as well as having a major positive impact on mental health! With increased restrictions in place again in Victoria though, it’s easy to stay on the couch – but it will do more harm than good.
For those of you thinking about resuming or increasing your exercise load, it is imperative to build up gradually. This will allow your body to cope with the increased activity as your soft tissues (muscles, ligaments and tendons) adapt, therefore reducing the risk of developing acute and/or overload injuries. Avoid the “boom/bust” scenario where you may go from no exercise at all to daily, high-intensity sessions immediately - a very common way to injure yourself!
To minimise injuries – and avoid ending up in my rooms, I generally encourage people to look at what they were doing in their program when they stopped and reduce these weights by 30% over the first few weeks of their return with a gradual increase of 10% per week thereafter. We recommend taking the time to warm up appropriately, work on mobility and activation exercises before moving onto heavy strength and plyometric (jump training) exercises. Slow your exercises down slightly to ensure your technique and posture is correct. If you are unsure, you can always check in with Cath as she has a great selection of warm-up exercises and will take you through the correct technique of your chosen exercises.
For parents of teenagers who may have gone through a growth spurt over the last four months, they should pay particular attention to a gradual transition back into sports to reduce their injury risk due to muscular imbalance and coordination changes.
Like returning to the gym, returning to sport also requires a graded training plan including both general fitness and sports specific exercises for injury prevention. Get in touch with me at Waverley Park Physiotherapy Centre on 9795 0668 if you have any injuries/niggles affecting your training and lifestyle or if you would like a sports-specific injury prevention program. Cathy and I liaise frequently regarding our clients to optimise your rehabilitation goals and outcomes
Happy training!
Amy Shipperd
Physiotherapist at Waverley Park Physiotherapy Centre