They are also prone to ‘speedbumps’ – a poor night’s sleep may limit your work productivity, or a child’s weekend sport may be prioritised over you attending your local park run. Some of these cannot be helped, but it makes it that much more important to prevent other barriers – ones that you can control – from stopping your progress.
In the context of health and fitness goals, injury prevention strategies are key. We frequently see people who have, despite their best intentions, found themselves with conditions that could very well have been avoided through appropriate guidance and planning. To help with this, a few ‘general’ principles are listed below:
- Start exercising based on your current physical condition. This may seem obvious, but the number of people who try repeating programs they undertook in high school or uni – because that was their most recent training experience – is greater than you would think. If you do not know where you are physically, talk to your physiotherapist about a formal assessment of your function.
- Listen to your body. If you are performing an activity and start thinking “this doesn’t feel right,” there is a decent chance you are correct. Stop the task and consider why it did not feel appropriate. Did you try to do too much? Have you allowed enough recovery time between sessions? These are also great questions to discuss with your physiotherapist because the answers vary from person to person based on many factors, including age, injury history and training history to name a few.
- Consistency is key. Yes, overtraining can increase your risk of injury. However, a break from exercising for several weeks and expecting to pick up where you left off is also ill advised. The body functions best when it deals with demands that are predictable, not seesawing. When this is done well, your body gets better and better at tolerating the activities you expose it to, reducing your risk of injury.
Please remember that every person’s starting point, goals, and plans to achieve them will be different. If you are concerned about what your journey will look like, do not hesitate to speak to your physiotherapist. A thorough assessment, training regime and tips for recognising and navigating speedbumps can make the process smoother, more effective, and more satisfying.