Spring is here!
And what a day to bring it in - 23 degrees and sunny!
And with this beautiful weather, it brings out the best motivation to exercise and be fit and healthy. The current restrictions allow outdoor exercise for 2 hours per day within 5 km from your home.
But how do we get out there? Is it a matter of going for a 5km run or 10km walk?
The answer to this depends on what you have been doing in winter! If you have been active and moving through winter, you can keep going and progress to your goals over the following weeks. However, if you haven't been active in winter, it isn't advisable to start with a big run or walk straight away. This comes down to the capacity of your tissues - that is your muscles, tendons and bones. Over winter, your body has adapted to less exercise and have in essence aren't able to tolerate a lot of load until it is rebuilt again. This means that you have to gradually build up the tolerance of these tissues again. They adapt, get more capable and then you can gradually increase your loading again.
What happens if I go for a big run?
It all comes down to risk. There is a bigger risk of pain, injury and dysfunction. This comes about as the load exceeds the capacity of the tissue and these structures can't tolerate it resulting in failure of these structures. The typical types of injuries that we see due to this include achilles tendon problems, plantar fasciitis, knee pain, hip pain, bone stress fractures/reactions and more.
So - what is the best way to do this?
The best way is to start small! And then increase your distance or load by approximately 10% per week. This means for a 1km run - that over the next week it is reasonable to build up to 1.1km.
If you are unsure - give us a call on 95801985! We can help discuss with you the safe way to get out and enjoy the sunshine while getting fit!