Because, unless you’ve been working out to the same intensity and level during lockdown in your home gym, you could be at high risk of injury. In all the excitement to get back in the gym, rushing to get back to where you were could end up leaving you injured and unable to use the gym.
We see this happens every January at The Heeler Centre when you decide to finally get fit as a New Year’s Resolution. You hit the gym hard and because your body hasn’t been conditioned to working at that level, injuries ensue and you take two steps back.
Despite your efforts at keeping fit and active at home, the likelihood is that you may have lost a lot of fitness. Having lifted barely anything since the start of lockdown, trying to lift 90kg above your head may just be a little too much on your first day back in the gym!
Here’s my advice to get your body gm-ready to avoid getting injured in week two:
1. Mobilise and stretch
Use this time to stretch and mobilise your joints properly. A joint mobility program will stimulate and circulate synovial fluid within the capsule, “washing” the joint, lubricating the moving parts and removing waste products lingering in unwanted areas. This has the ability to not only prevent injury, but also revitalise your joints.
Use mobility exercises where you move your articulating joints through their full range of motion in a slow, purposeful and controlled manner. These exercises should be incorporated into your exercise program as warm ups, active recovery between sets or as a stand-alone low intensity workout.
2. Foam roll
Foam rolling helps release tension in the muscles, relieve muscle soreness, and improve flexibility and range of motion which means you can perform your workouts with better more efficient and safer form.
3. Start working out now
Start off training the number of days a week you normally would, but not the same amount of hours. We’ve still got a couple of week until gyms open so try some workouts or online classes. These are a great way to prep your body for the upcoming gym sessions ahead.
4. Eat, drive and sleep
If lockdown has properly played havoc with your diet and sleep, start using this time to hit reset before hitting the gym. Most people train to improve their health and to do that you need to make sure you’re well rested. If you’re not sleeping properly, eating terribly, are not eating enough or eating too much then when you start training, you’re undoing all the hard work. Start eating healthy, hydrate and rest well.
If you need help with your nutrition programme, call The Heeler Centre and ask to speak with Claire who will be able to provide a tailored nutrition plan. Also, make sure you book your massages for when the gym opens to help stave off injury.
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