With gyms reopening this week you need to have a plan for how to safely return to your pre-isolation gym exercise routine. A lot can happen to your body in 3 months and you need to be kind to it to get the rewards you're looking for.
Many people have continued with regular exercise at home but the type and intensity may have been quite different from what they were doing before, leading to reduced strength and conditioning. For those who used their extra time to increase walking, cycling or running their cardiovascular fitness may have dramatically improved however their strength may have deteriorated. Many have been more sedentary and significantly reduced their energy output leading to reduced overall fitness.
Your muscles and tendons are likely to have shrunk during COVID-19 isolation and this makes you more susceptible to injury. You may feel great after your first few sessions, however, niggles may appear or you may get a flare-up of a previous injury. This is your body telling you to slow down, decrease frequency, intensity and duration, or take a rest.
If you start off by placing too large of a demand on your body, you run the risk of injury and a return to isolation – exercise isolation!!
Most of all you need to look after your own health and safety in the gym. You may choose to drop your weights rather than have a spotter or do exercises you are familiar with rather than trying something new and having poor technique.
Be mindful of your end goal and do your best to stay on track – avoiding injury setbacks.
You know where we are if you need us to check your technique and advise you on safely returning to your pre-COVID exercise program.
Start your Footy season ahead of the game by mastering dynamic strength and control exercises for the legs and hips. Achieving this will not only make your body stronger but enable you to play at your absolute best.
There are many ways to improve dynamic strength and control through the lower limbs, however, the exercises listed below focus upon the essential areas most athletes lack for performing at their best.
Challenge your single leg balance - important for running, sidestepping and passing a ball.
Stand in the centre of the Bosu ball on one leg, or simply stand on one leg. Extend your non-standing leg forwards and then back to centre, sideways and then back to centre, and behind you and back to centre to challenge your stability.
Tips - control both the glutes and quadriceps muscles to achieve functional strength and stability in the lower limbs - keep the pelvis straight and still, increasing the activation in the target muscle groups – don’t let the hips drop to either side, keeping them level is essential in maintaining control and muscle activation.
Perform this exercise for 30-second intervals, progressing up to a few minutes as your balance improves.
Functionally strengthen the quadriceps and gluteal muscles - essential for explosiveness in the lower limbs.
Use a regular size chair for this exercise, hold your hands out in front, lift one leg off the ground and stand up by leaning forward. Control through the hips and knees until standing. Slowly lower back down onto the chair, again controlling through the hips and knees.
Tips - don’t allow your knee to collapse inward as this decreases the activation of the quadriceps and gluteal muscles.
Start with 10 repetitions for 3 sets, progressing to more repetitions as your lower limb strength improves.
Challenge your leg strength with the added challenge of passing and catching a ball, putting your stability to the test.
Start by performing a pistol squat at a right angle to a wall (a few meters away) - hold a ball in front of you, lift one leg off the ground and stand up by leaning forward. Control through the hips and knees until standing. Rotate your body sideways throwing the ball into the wall and catching it upon return. Lower yourself back down slowly keeping control through your glutes and quadriceps.
Tips - don’t allow your knee to collapse inward as this decreases the activation of the quadriceps and gluteal muscles.
Perform between 8-12 repetitions for 3 sets, progressing the number of reps and sets to continue challenging your dynamic stability.
Did you know that the World Record for the longest held plank is a huge 4 hours and 28 minutes!
Start with a quick 30 seconds and see how long it takes to get to your own record. Good luck.
Physical activity is good for your body and has also been linked to improved academic performance in children. Active play needs neuro-motor coordination of movement as well as planning, strategizing, social interaction and responding to the environment. Get motivated, get outside this weekend and encourage your kids to be active. Need help to keep up with the kids? Our team of physios can help fix your aches and pains. Read more
