Covid-19 hit us like a sledgehammer: quickly and forcefully. It stripped us of so much that we take for granted, replacing our normality with an imposter, albeit one that we’ve grown to accept over the past 18 months, a new normal.
This shift in normality initially threw us into disarray and our routines out the window. Every day was something new: school cancelled, shops closed, pubs closed, and most devastatingly, no sport. While the closure of sports club and fitness centres didn’t completely put the kibosh on exercise, some of us may have consciously or subconsciously used this as an excuse to take a break from physical activity all together.
Taking an exercise sabbatical isn’t always a bad thing; in fact, it can be very beneficial in some cases. But the more time that passes before resuming a routine, the more likely you are to pick up an injury when you restart. And while this has certainly been the case during this Covid-19 pandemic, it’s not the only reason for the increase in athletic injuries.
What Causes this Increase in Injuries?
Let’s look at the effect of the pandemic on exercising. Lockdown left people with a lot of free time and many took the initiative to embark on an exercise regime. While a large percentage of new exercisers stuck to low impact activities like walking, cycling or gardening, some hit the ground running with online workouts and virtual marathons. Admirable indeed, but not recommended if your body is unaccustomed to such energetic pursuits.
From Zero to Hero
You are more susceptible to injury doing high impact exercise when you are unfit or without proper supervision than when you have regular practice. Your muscles and joints must build up strength and suppleness, and they need time to do this effectively. For example, a new runner should start with a run/walk combination over a short distance and build on this rather than jumping straight into a 10 mile run. Pushing your body into running at fast paces or over long distances before it’s ready, causes muscle strains and joint problems that can have lasting effects.
The “Too Much” Effect
If you were already a regular exerciser, lockdown may have affected you in a different way. With an increased amount of time on your hands and a love of exercise, perhaps it seemed natural to increase the volume or intensity of your training. It would certainly have killed some time, and improved your fitness level.
Medical professionals have seen an increase in injuries due to over exercising. Not giving your body adequate recovery time after a workout, or pushing it to do more than it’s prepared for, can result in stress injuries, muscle strains and tendon problems.
Jumping Back In
When the country reopened, fitness centres and sports clubs once again welcomed their members. There was heightened excitement as things were finally getting back to normal and we could start to move on from the pandemic. Perhaps you were one of those who flocked back to the gym, ready to pick up where you’d left off. What you may not have taken into account is the effect that the loss of regular exercise has on your fitness level.
Where you may have been ready to jump right back in, your body will have had other ideas making your previously manageable workout more strenuous and difficult. Did you dream that you used to plank for two minutes? Now, you collapse after 30 seconds, your arms trembling with exertion.
No-one likes to take a step back in their training, but in instances like this where your exercise regime has taken a knock, it’s not only recommended, it’s essential for your physical wellbeing. Picking up where you left off months before is likely to result in sport injuries that will set your exercise plans back even further.
Who is More at Risk of Injury?
This is a simple question with an equally simple answer: no-one. Every person, whether a professional athlete, school child or member of the public risks injury if they exercise without the correct preparation after a lengthy break. In fact, there were a plethora of sports injuries when professional leagues and competition resumed. This was mostly down to bloated training and match schedules designed to make up for time lost during the lockdown period. We simply can’t assume that professional athletes are immune to injury; they suffer the same fate as you and me if training resumes too quickly and at too high a tempo.
How Do You Prevent Injury?
The phrase “slow and steady wins the race” is perhaps a fitting mantra. Starting slowly is key to preventing any kind of injury. If you were running 10 miles before being plunged into lockdown, it’s unlikely your body can sustain that distance on your return to training. Start with a shorter distance, at a slower pace and build this up bit by bit over a few weeks. Likewise if you were bench pressing 100kg drop the weight down to something more manageable and slowly increase it over your next few sessions.
Listen to your body. If you were unlucky to have fallen ill with Covid-19, you may find that your body takes longer to get back to a semblance of physical fitness. In this case, limit the exercise demands that you put on your body. It may take longer to reach your fitness goals, but you will ultimately be healthier for it.
The same applies if you remained perfectly healthy during lockdown. Your body will let you know if you’re pushing it too hard, so don’t ignore the odd little twinge or muscle spasm. These seemingly insignificant signs could be indicative of a larger problem brewing that if disregarded can lead to more severe injury or even lasting damage.
We applaud you for starting an exercise programme, or getting back into regular training. Remember to be aware of your body and listen to what it’s telling you. Be the tortoise: slow and steady, and injury-free.