With spring in the air motivation to exercise is on the rise. Generally, most of us spend our time sitting on the couch watching TV or scrolling through social media, especially in the colder winter months, and motivation to move the body is few and far between. Here are some tips on how to safely increase your exercise levels as the weather warms up and we leave our winter hibernation habits behind.
Where to start:
We recommend having a measuring tool such as running distance or time, amount of weight lifted in kilograms, or heart rate. This measuring tool allows you to track your exercise. Having a measuring tool is paramount to preventing overload and potential injuries. A good starting place is 50% of what you think is your maximum capacity of the exercise you would like to get back into.
The 10% rule:
It is important to increase and progress your exercise levels to prevent plateau. There is often ambiguity on how to do this safely. Increasing your intensity by 10% of your measuring tool every week is a safe way to progress your exercise. If, after your first week, you have bitten off more than you can chew, decrease by 10% and get more comfortable with exercising before increasing again.
What if something hurts?
Progression is never linear, and exercise has an inherent risk or causing some discomfort throughout the body. If you begin to experience pain when exercising, we recommend you reduce your intensity or duration of exercise by 50% for two weeks. If your pain subsides, you can return to progressing at 10% per week.
Don’t stop! Continue past GO and collect your $200!
Exercise increases your ability to tolerate load. Stopping all exercise completely, even just for a few weeks when you feel a slight niggle or discomfort, can reduce your ability to tolerate loads. Therefore, please continue exercise in some capacity when you experience these aches and pains.
What if it doesn’t improve?
The physios at Back in Motion are experts in managing injuries obtained through exercise. If you are still experiencing niggling pain after 2 weeks of reducing your load, please book in and we will assess and create an individualised management plan to address your injury. To book, please give us a call on 9818 5454 or book online at backinmotion.com.au/hawthorn