Stay Safe

As we slowly ease out of the lockdown, patients are beginning to find their way back into my practice. In an attempt to stay fit and healthy during the confinement, many of them have followed on-line fitness classes, of varying kinds, which have led to a variety of new injuries or reawakening of old wounds. 

It is not that any particular class is good or bad, be it Pilates, yoga or whatever your calling is, as no one discipline holds the holy grail of health. It is the lack of understanding of what we call “graded exposure” when returning to an activity after a break or when starting a new one. Equally the lack of understanding that fitness in one activity does not translate into fitness in another: you might be an accomplished runner but that won’t protect you in front of a screen doing a yoga class! Across the board, the frequency of injury due to pushing it a little too far or doing something new, considerably out-ways actual direct trauma such as the spraining of an ankle.

As you seek to try to establish a little normality back into your life, to protect yourself from injury, start gently and ease into activity gradually by increasing it in small steps. Treat the venture as if it was a walk up a gentle slope, a step at a time and don’t forget to stop occasionally to enjoy the view. This also applies to any DIY that has been neglected, the garden that hasn’t been attended to or the flowerpots that sit empty because you had other obligations such as maybe schooling the children. However, also remember that a little soreness after any activity is safe and even desirable, it’s just a question of degree.

If you were working at home you probably had more freedom to take breaks from long periods of sitting, try to continue that healthy habit when returning to your workplace!

Stay safe, stay active

Warm Regards

David