Are you fit for exercise this Spring?

If you’ve been quite sedentary throughout winter, you may find your body is feeling de-conditioned.

Before you get out and about, take a look at our tips for getting your body ready for an increase in activity.

1. Ease into it

If you’re looking to exercise more throughout Spring, it’s important to gradually increase the time you spend exercising to reduce your risk of injury.

Start off by doing an hour of gardening or playing a friendly tennis match and work your way up. If there is a specific sport or hobby that you’d like to get back to, our team can put a bespoke exercise plan together for you that focuses on progressively developing specific muscles that you need to do that exercise. This is a great way to ensure that you get the most out of your activities without injuring yourself.

Another tip is to make sure that you warm up and cool down after exercising as this will help your body recover faster.

2. Stay hydrated

Don’t forget to keep topping up your water bottle. Dehydration can have a negative effect on your performance and is often caused due to excessive sweating and inadequate fluid intake. So keep drinking water at regular intervals throughout the day.

3. Treat knocks and niggles sensibly

If you increase your activity levels too quickly or you have poor form when exercising, you may find that you develop aches and pains. Although it’s common to get the odd niggle when getting back into exercise, it should be treated correctly from the outset.

If you are injured and have immediate swelling or feel unsure about the nature of your injury then please don’t hesitate to contact us.

In the meantime, here is some self-treatment advice known as the PRICE protocol:

• Protect the area with tape or support. This helps to offload the area, preventing further damage and facilitates a quicker recovery.
• Rest for the first few days or even weeks to reduce the frequency, intensity, load, or time that you use the painful area to help promote healing. This will also prevent further damage and long-term problems.
• Ice should be used to help reduce swelling and inflammation. This can be applied up to 20 minutes every 2-3 hours. The quicker you can reduce the inflammation, the quicker you will be on the road to recovery.
• Compression reduces the swelling around the injured site and provides support to offload the area. Tape is often one of the most effective methods for this.
• Elevate the area of injury whenever possible. This reduces swelling and pain and maintains the range of movement to the area of injury. The higher the elevation, the better the effect. However, you should still be in a comfortable position.

Please seek advice if you feel unsure or worried that your injury may get worse.

4. Keep your body in good form with regular manual therapy

Manual therapy alongside an increase in activity has many benefits such as:

• Better flexibility
• Reduced stress
• Increased energy levels
• Improved posture
• Pain relief
• Relief from muscle tension & tightness
• Faster recovery from injury

If you’re feeling de-conditioned, perhaps consider starting a Rehab, Pilates or Strength and Movement programme to get your body ready for Spring. If you’re interested in finding out more about these programmes, please call our Patient Services team on 01380 730473.