Spring has sprung and summer is here! As a result most of us will start to change our outdoor routines. With the brighter mornings and the longer evenings fueling our bid to improve health with exercise there is no better time to start!
However, it may be that the cold winter has prevented you from exercising for a while so be warned. It is essential that you introduce any new activity gradually. There is usually a surge in injuries at this time of year because people want immediate results and think they can do more than they should!
As we exercise we rely on muscle support and joint flexibility. If you spend most of your day sitting at a computer the chances are that these structures may have weakened or declined since you were last active [which could have been as long ago as last summer].
The good news is that we are here to help. The key to a successful transition is using a good warm up, having a realistic starting point, stretching after you warm down and raising the exercise output gradually over time so as not to open yourself up to the risk of injury.
Don’t push yourself too hard! It will obviously take time to build yourself up to your original output again but if you injure yourself, you risk not being able to participate and delaying your return to the chosen activity at the very least.
If you need further advice about returning to sport or other activities so that you might avoid injury, as you improve health, we are happy to see or talk to you about a tailor made program which could improve your output and technique.
Have a healthy summer!