The gyms are opening – hurrah! I for one, am looking forward to having the option of using different equipment other than my trusty dumbbells at home and trying out the array of classes on offer. And of course, not forgetting have a (leisurely) swim in the pool. It’s going to look very different to what we are used to, but it’s better than the alternative.
If you happen to fall into the camp of people who have done less exercise during lockdown than they perhaps would normally do, and you go back into your HIIT or spin class with all of the gusto that one might expect from a Usain Bolt-esk sprint, then your body is unlikely to thank you for it in a few days or weeks! Suddenly increasing the amount or the intensity of exercise you are doing leaves your joint and tendons vulnerable to injury and overload. Cue the aching knee, sore shoulder and/or tight achilles. The old adage says “prevention is better than cure”, and it really is! If you can give your body a chance to adapt to the renewed stresses and strains by not going hell-for-leather the minute you clap eyes on the smith’s machine, your body can adjust to the load without causing you any grief and ruining all your fun. I’m not saying, don’t work hard and push yourself, but go a little easy to begin with and gradually build up what you are doing.
If, however, your enthusiasm overcomes you and you end up with an unhappy groin/knee/shoulder/ankle (delete as appropriate) – then you know where to find us (Treatment room 4, Martlesham leisure)!
Looking forward to seeing you all back in the gym!
