Over winter, when the weather is colder and darker, many people fall out of the habit of exercise and it can be difficult to get back into the routine.
Whether you love running, working out in the gym, or playing sports, you know that you should get back to it – and you know that you actually really love to perform at your best because it’s such a good feeling to hit a new PR, or win an important game.
But what do you do if you are suffering from pain, your performance has plummeted and you aren’t able to get up to speed after a winter of less exercise?
Thankfully, our specialist team works with active people just like you on a daily basis and in this article, we share 4 proven tips to help you march back into fitness!
Be Smart When Returning To Exercise
If you’re looking to get back into your sport, a good place to start is with your training. Start by increasing your workouts’ intensity, then slowly build that up over time as you get fitter and stronger.
Make sure you get enough rest between sessions and focus on building muscular strength and endurance. This will enable you to get back into the game more quickly and improve your performance.
A common mistake for people returning to sports after time off is to do too much, too soon.
Suppose you’re a weekend warrior who jumps back into an intense WOD or tries to lift the same on your heavy back squats where you left off in Autumn. In that case, you’re more likely to get a nasty injury, rather than miraculously regain all your strength and performance in one session.
So, definitely get back into exercise, but taper your return and be smart – You can’t regain all your strength in a week, but you can give yourself a long-term injury that completely wrecks your goals in 2023.
Don’t Ignore Your Pain And Physical Limitations
It’s common for people to have little niggles, or aches from past sports injuries and often we try to put on a brave face, ignore them, and hope they fix themselves.
For the lucky few, this can happen.
But if it’s a serious injury, or you’re past a certain age, your body simply cannot get back and you need to get treatment from experts.
During winter, when you’re less active, you might not notice these aches as much, or you might be doing less so it’s less apparent. However, when you return to exercise and play sports, the tight muscles, stiff joints, and painful movement become much more noticeable.
If you are starting to notice injuries that haven’t gone away, and realize that they are holding you back, and spoiling your fun, you can fix this problem naturally!
We offer Free Discovery Visits where you can speak to a member of our team, find out what’s happening, and how to get back to pain-free exercise and sports.
Don’t Rush Your Warm Up
Before you get into the game or head out for a run, always make sure you warm up properly.
This will get your muscles and joints ready for action, reduce your risk of injury, and help to get you in the right mindset for playing.
Warm-up drills should involve dynamic movements like lateral shuffles and jogging to get your heart pumping and your joints and muscles used to moving.
It’s common for people to rush, or even totally ignore their warm-up, but spending time to get your body prepared is guaranteed to reduce the risk of sporting injuries, and help you perform better.
Improve Your Mobility
Another overlooked aspect of being fit and performing at your best is your mobility. You should also focus on improving your mobility, as this can help reduce the risk of injury while playing sports.
Work on stretching, foam rolling, and dynamic exercises that target specific muscle groups to get them moving freely and fluidly will improve your performance, both in the short term, and also over the course of a training program, or season.
Speak To An Expert For The Fastest Results
If you aren’t able to enjoy your workouts, are not able to get stronger, and are exhausted after runs that used to be easy for you, because of aches, pains, and injuries, our team can fix this problem!
With a variety of natural treatment options, you can quickly overcome injuries, and get back to performing at your best.
To find out more, we offer Free Total Body Assessments where you can speak to an expert, get your questions answered, and discover the best options available to you.
It’s completely free, with no obligation, and you will leave able to make your own choice about how you can improve your health and fitness.
At Next Level, there is extremely high demand at our four clinics (Cary, Montclair, Morrisville, Woodcliff Lake) so we are only offering a limited number of these Free Total Body Assessments.
Call our team at 201-746-9966 to arrange yours – we would love to get you faster, stronger, and playing better than you ever have before!
More Resources For Better Performance
Read our blog – Top 3 Causes Of Knee Pain In Runners And How To Treat Them
Read our blog – 5 Tips To Boost Energy Levels And Relieve Pain
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