A commonly occurring injury we see in January in our Physio clinic is known as the “January Curse”.
What happens to people in January?
Firstly, you probably had a well-earned break over the festive season.
You may have travelled, slept in different beds with different pillows, and you are completely out of routine. You had fun – was sitting too long, eating more and perhaps drinking more.
It is summer and hot – not conducive to normal exercise. Great to just chill…
The result, in summary, is that our bodily fitness and health is at its lowest for the whole year in January!
By all means make a New Year resolution of improving your health and fitness but please start your return to fitness conservatively.
It doesn’t matter what activity you choose, just start steadily (leave something in reserve) and allow your body to harden and acclimatise.
Remember that your body probably isn’t in its best shape (yet), so we need to prepare the body steadily before we jump in the deep-end with your normal intensity.
RUNNING
Please do not go straight into running as your first choice of to reclaim your fitness.
Do not underestimate the jarring and the forces that go through your lower limbs especially through the knees (up to 5 times your body weight of jarring with each landing step depending on the speed and incline). Ideally, if running is your choice it would be beneficial to do some light gym/cycling/hydrotherapy/Castle Hill walking etc to start your body in preparation.
I would also advise not to go full into running instead consider running in intervals – eg walk/run/walk/run and gradually increase the running percentage.
Initially exercises are to be on flat ground. And then later consider a longer or faster run, or include hills if you are coping.
DIFFERENT ACTIVITIES
Also remember that even if you are reasonably fit and are used to exercising in a particular way, it doesn’t necessarily mean you will have no issues with a new activity or sport.
For example, if you regularly walk or attend gym, and then you take up a new sport ( eg tennis) you may be surprised at how sore you pull up over the following 2 days.
Every sport has different forces and strains specific to it.
If you’re about to take up tennis fixtures as an example, you might consider going for a practice but with a friend just for half an hour. Don’t play for points or anything competitive just allow your body to pick and choose which balls to chase. Gradually increase the next hitting practice to ¾ of an hour, and later one hour with adding a few tennis ‘drills’ or just playing first to 10 points eg not a full competitive set.
You get the idea – ease into your activities to give your body the chance to adapt.
The “Curse”? In January we meet clients who have either:
a) done too little over the festive season, lost their muscular support and gradually their pre-existing sprains and strains start to aggravate, or
b) been too motivated/had a new lease on life and started their new years’ resolution of more exercise at an intensity too high.
These ailments and injuries are the physical “Curse of January”…
Should any queries arise, or you would like to discuss this further in depth please don’t hesitate to contact on 47282116 or email admin@physioonross.com.au
Happy (but steady) exercising. Train sensibly especially at the start.
Brett and Riley
