The corona virus and sporting injuries

What strange creatures we are. 

When we have the opportunity to exercise, we don’t and when we are challenged by not being able to exercise, we react by going out and stripping out sports stores of gym equipment.

I must say that during the first 8 weeks of this pandemic, one of the noticeable things was the number of people seen in the streets exercising.

With so many gyms closed (the most recent information is telling us that gyms will be reopening on the 22nd of June in Victoria) the big rage is exercising in our own living rooms through the magic of Zoom.

Members of my family are doing it and I think it is a great idea as it still gives us a sense of normality even though we are still isolated.

On a personal level my daughter is developing a passion for road bike riding and she has now motivated me to get back into the sport.

I am tickled pink that she has chosen me to train with her although I do believe that I am there purely for companionship and not for my bike riding abilities.

What I am getting at is that physical activity is very important to us humans and I am hoping that once this pandemic subsides, we continue to see this level of exercising enthusiasm maintained.

Exercising has many positive outcomes:

• It allows us to reduce our stress level
• It allows us to have a break from isolation (for those choosing to exercise outdoors)
• It allows us to sleep better
• It helps to strengthen our musculoskeletal system

However, one of the more negative aspects of this trend is the number of people that are injuring themselves in their “home” gyms either by incorrectly doing exercises or overstressing their bodies. 

Many of these injuries are the result of people tackling their exercise a little too enthusiastically.

We just need to allow our bodies time to gradually build up strength and flexibility.

So, for all those budding athletes out there here are a couple of helpful hints:

• Make sure that you choose a training programme that is age appropriate
• Make sure that you warm up correctly
• Make sure you understand the exercise and execute it correctly
•  Make sure that you don’t overwork your body
• If you injure yourself stop immediately and if the discomfort persists, seek the advice of an appropriate health practitioner.

Exercising can be so rewarding and so much fun so don’t spoil it by injuring yourself. 

If you need any further advice or you do get into difficulty, please feel free to call the Mount Street Chiropractic Centre on 03 94553000.  

We have over 35 years of experience in dealing with musculoskeletal injuries.

All assessments and treatments are based on sound clinical practices and techniques and a positive client outcome is out main priority.