New Year - New Injury?

As another year ticks by, many of us take stock of what’s gone well and what hasn’t over the last 12 months. Health and physical fitness are natural areas for people to want to improve on after weeks of cold meats and alcohol!

Consequently, in January most of us will start heading to the gym or taking up new sports or healthy habits. I encourage anyone to make positive choices for their health in being more active or eating better. However, unfortunately many will fall victim to injuries of overload such as Achilles tendon pain, shoulder injuries, stress fractures and many more. Sharp change from a period of well-deserved rest and refuelling to new, higher intensity or more frequent exercise alongside a decrease in energy intake from switching to salads or cutting out bread and pasta puts significant stress on slightly weakened structures. For this reason, I want to offer some great tips for you to progress at a safe and healthy rate.

Start small

Our body adapts well to exercise but adapts faster to inactivity. This means you can lose fitness twice as quickly as you gain it. Whilst this can be frustrating, it’s better to acknowledge your limitations in the short term than overshoot and must stop training entirely.

Allow days off between training the same muscle group of activity

Soft tissues of the body need periods of rest to recover from the new stress placed upon them. This means they can react negatively to overly frequent sessions. Bones react to training too and are more likely to develop stress fractures with frequent sessions without adequate rest. Your body needs to recover between sessions, but particularly between faster, heavier loading like running and jumping. I usually suggest a day off between training the same muscle group, and two days off between impact training if you are new runner or are keen on high intensity training.

Progress slowly

Luckily, the body can bounce back from time off and allow quick training progress. For reasons I have mentioned before, I advise repeating training sessions or keeping the same program for at least two weeks before progressing. This allows your body to react and adapt to training, meaning you can identify any issues before overdoing it.

Seek advice from a healthcare professional or your GP before making big dietary changes

Simple changes after periods of excess, like reducing alcohol, cheese, or chocolate consumption, probably don’t need medical advice. But January often sees patients going vegan, cutting out carbs or taking up other drastic changes to their diet. Your body needs building blocks to function well and adapt to training. Increasing energy use through exercise and reducing supply can contribute to injury, and so it’s best to seek appropriate advice before making big changes.

I hope these tips allow you to train well over the next 12 months without injury! If you are currently suffering from any injuries that are holding you back or simply would like to come in for some advice or an assessment, then then give us a call on 01202 604707 or email admin@wimbornewellnesscentre.co.uk.