The end of the
festive season sees millions of people in Britain pledge to make a New Year’s
resolution. Unfortunately many of these good intentions will be abandoned by
the end of January.
A December of
office parties, entertaining and overindulging through the Christmas holiday
are a great reason to make us want to kick-start 2013 with a healthy diet and
some exercise.
Exercise
related injuries are a regular occurrence in the New Year, something that we
see all too frequently at our Reigate clinic.
If getting fit
is on the top of your list, here are a few tips to keep you motivated and avoid
injury - the two leading causes of quitting an exercise program.
- Pick a type of exercise you will enjoy– you are more likely to keep at it.
- Perform a warm up routine and stretch before and after you exercise, also do a warm down afterwards. Doing this before and after exercise decreases the chance of hurting yourself, as muscles are less likely to get injured if they are warm and relaxed.
- Build up slowly, if you haven’t exercised in a while ease yourself back in gently, a beginner to running won’t be able to run a marathon right away, mix brisk walking with some light jogging and increase distances gradually.
- Even if you are not a beginner to a sport, think about taking some coaching or a lesson. Improving your technique will decrease your chances of picking up an injury.
- Avoid being a ‘weekend warrior’ by spreading exercise throughout the week. Overdoing it at the weekend will put you more at risk of injury.
- Listen to your body. Pain, swelling and stiffness are your body’s way of telling you to ease back on an exercise routine. If you find that these symptoms do not resolve themselves, or are beyond what you consider normal, it may be time to seek medical attention.
- Prevent injury, and boredom, by balancing cardiovascular exercise, weight training and stretching in your exercise routine.
- If in doubt ask, seek advice from a professional, sports injury specialists can offer advice on taking up an exercise regime and injury care.
Wishing you a Happy New Year and a New You,
Good luck!
To find out
more how an Osteopath or Sports Massage can help you, or for more information
visit our website www.chartclinic.co.uk
or call 01737 248 023
