Injury Prevention in Isolation

Lockdown life. Like almost everyone out there, I am well over this lockdown!

It is a well-known fact that exercise is key to maintaining mental and physical health. This is highlighted in lockdown when most of us are facing stresses we are often under prepared for; exercise can be our time, a time to look after ourselves and get some “me” time.

It is certainly obvious that a lot of people are indeed getting out and about. Unfortunately, as we have seen in past lockdowns, a number of these people will end up with a “lockdown induced injury”. Today I’d like to provide some info on the risk factors for injury and, how to avoid these and what to do if you do get into trouble. 

Risk Factors

Injuries occur when tissue is overloaded to breaking point. The most common ways this happens include:

• Acute overload due to unavoidable force (falling over, dodging someone while running, bike crash etc.)
• Acute overload due to “avoidable” force (deciding to sprint upstairs and tearing a hammy, tearing calf while skipping etc.)
• Chronic/sub-acute overload
  • Poor technique or equipment (Achilles pain from running, shoulder swimming etc.)
  • Unchecked or dramatic increase in load (running every day, press up challenges, new sports)

All the above situations have a variety of controllable and uncontrollable variables. But from experience in previous lockdowns, we can focus on two common errors. 

#1. Training every day. We get it, lockdown is boring, summer is only 4 months away and the fridge is taking a hammering. The issue is, most of us aren’t used to this type of loading, so we set ourselves up for injury. Solution: build your weekly load slowly, listen to your body and take some rest or light days. 

#2. Single task training.  Who doesn’t love a challenge?! Again, the issue is dramatic overload. We need balance and the body needs time to adapt. So, like #1 the Solution: take some rest days, or build into it slowly. Maybe get into sourdough if you need a challenge?

What to do?

• Vary it up. Change the intensity, type and duration of training through the week.
• Gradual progression of load. 
• Listen to your body. If it needs a de-load, give it one. 
• Got an injury? Check out our blog on injury management and get in touch with the BeFit team to see what’s best for your situation.