Community Corner
5-Tips for Getting Back to Activity and Sports Post-Quarantine
Time away from the gym and sports puts you at risk for injury once you return. A few simple considerations can keep you well and healthy.
Chances are your gym, exercise classes, and sports routine has not been quite the same over the past few months. Hopefully you have been able to stay active! If you have been participating in activities that are different than your usual routine or even starting from scratch, here are 5 tips to help in reducing your injury risk during the process.
1. The Tortoise Beats The Hare
Unfortunately, getting back in shape is not something that can be rushed. We all wish we could snap our fingers and be ready for a pick up basketball game or even just a jog around the block. In most cases, adding too much too early can even set you back or worse, cause an injury. A research-based rule of thumb would be to increase your activity by no more than 130% per week. While it may not be necessary to break out the calculator, this rule may be a great guide to make sure you do not do something like double your weekly activity. This is much easier to track with endurance activities like running or cycling than going to a HIIT class. Maybe consider not attending a class for 5 consecutive days after a long hiatus, or making sure to not overdo other activities if class was particularly strenuous. Once your base level of fitness is back to normal, it will be much easier to do exactly as you please.
2. Get Stronger
Want to forget about that last rule? Here is how, but I cannot promise a quick fix.
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The stronger you are, the more changes in activity your body can handle. Struggle with body weight squats? You may have more difficulty with increasing your running mileage. Struggle with multiple heel raises? Ballet based group classes may eventually lead to overuse. Research shows that strength training can reduce sports injuries by one-third and overuse injuries by at least 50%. Unfortunately, we are unaware of any single activity that is remotely close to being as effective as strengthening to reduce sports and overuse injury. I would recommend focusing on calf and leg strength at a minimum considering most activities heavily rely on your legs.
3. Make a plan
Try and plan out your workouts, classes, and sporting events, particularly if you have not been on a normal schedule. This way you can adequately plan rest and alternatives if needed. This also helps you stay consistent. Consistency does not mean consistently overtraining. Consistency means a gradual planned increase in activity. Consider using a fitness tracking device or application to not only plan future workouts, but be able to edit your plan by assessing your previous training volume.
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4. More Important Than Making A Plan
Listen to your body! The best part about making a plan is that you can now make smart decisions on how to alter it based on how you feel. This week was too much? No problem! Edit next week’s training plan to focus a bit more on recovery. When you feel like you need a break, or even a nap, that means that it is time to take one. Your body improves while you rest, not while you work. Yes, yes, yes...you MUST put in the adequate work, but you must be able to do that work well to achieve your desired results. Create the optimal environment to recover so you can continue on your plan.
5. Start Sooner Than Later
You will not make up for 3 months of a lack of training or activity by only a few weeks of work. Hopefully, this tip does not apply to you, but if you are someone who has been relatively sedentary over the past few months and plan to re-start your fitness, start doing something today! Maybe you try just a few squats or lunges. Maybe just a quick jog around the block! But the first step to greatness, or back to greatness, still has to be a step!
1. Gabbett TJThe training—injury prevention paradox: should athletes be training smarter and harder?British Journal of Sports Medicine 2016;50:273-280.
2. Lauersen JB, Bertelsen DM, Andersen LB. The effectiveness of exercise interventions to prevent sports injuries: a systematic review and meta-analysis of randomised controlled trials. Br J Sports Med. 2014;48(11):871-877.
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