By Marty Ayres
When I think of GRADED EXPOSURE, I think of digging in the garden without any gloves on.
Hang on tight, because this analogy is a good one!
As a Physio with soft hands, constantly working with massage cream, and never really seeing a hard day’s work in their life, my hands are a perfect example of the post-corona runner. They aren’t ready for gardening – trapped in the low load zone.
So, if I go out in the garden, with my delicate hands, without gloves, and I start digging - I’ll put a fair amount of new stress on my fingers. Particularly the spots where blisters and callouses form.
I have a 10-hour project ahead of me, but I have a fortnight to do it in, however I have no gloves (and Bunnings is closed).
I could go with the GSD (Get S#!t Done) or the BIG BOOM method – smashing five hours of shoveling in the first day. I’m really proud of my efforts, I dominated. But my hands are sore, they are raw and I’ve created blisters. Those blisters are so bad that I can’t go out in the garden for the rest of the week and I have to get my poor partner Steph to do the rest.
Instead I should start the GRADED EXPOSURE way. I start slow, I do a short stint in the garden on day one by completing two separate 30 minute sessions. My hands are a bit tender the next day, but I’m ok. I put the shovel down and wait until day three where I do a GRADED increase, say 2 x 45-minute sessions. My body starts to adapt and again, I pull up fine. Over the next two weeks I build up, increasing my time in the garden as my hands adapt. I see this hardened skin forming, my body’s natural resistance! I have conditioned my hands and I have formed a CALLOUS!
Now, I can go in the garden and shovel as much as I need to, .and for you playing at home, this is the same in running!
You go out there and start adding some new stress on your lower body, but you start slow. Build your body’s tolerance in a GRADED manner. Day one you run for 10 minutes, cross train the next day, day three you run for 15 minutes.
Instead of BOOMING into running, your body is conditioning, its steeling itself so you won’t BUST!
So, before you throw on the runners, ask yourself, do you want blisters, or do you want to form callouses so you can keep running (or digging) for many years to come?
GET A GRADED PLAN
Speak to your health professional about footwear and setting up a training program, .and above all else avoid “THE BOOM AND BUST!”
There are so many ways to prevent running injuries and we’ve got tips for all of them:
- The shoes you choose (they’re the gloves);
- Cross training (spreading the load);
- Strengthening (building your engines before you race);
- Mapping your run – choosing the right terrain to start with and tracking your progress; and
- Running technique (Don’t be like Phoebe from Friends)
Stay tuned as next week for more “great analogies” to get your head around how we slowly get back into running!
This blog series is written by Marty Ayres - Physiotherapist, Grad Cert in Sports Physiotherapy and Melbourne Marathon completer at Back In Motion Eltham.
If you would like further information, please contact our practice on 9439 6776 to book in a consultation with Marty.