One of the things I hear my patients tell me this time of year (when the temperature drops outside), is that they’ve decided to take up gym classes instead of being active outdoors.
I don’t blame them… being outside in the cold is no fun.
And the reason why I’m bringing this up, is because I saw a client last week and it made me think of a common mistake that I see thousands of people make when it comes to exercise this time of year (which can lead very easily to injury).
One of my patients Joanne, 57, Eston, came in feeling back pain after taking up a new exercise class she had heard her friends talking about and asked her to join in…
…High intensity boot camps.
Now I’m not saying there’s anything ‘wrong’ with these types of classes, but the thing is, these high intensity trends we see and hear about all the time when it comes to exercise, can actually cause us more harm than good.
The truth is, if we’re not used to doing these types of activities, our bodies aren’t going to be used to exercising in such a way, therefore unwanted aches like back pain, can suddenly affect us.
So here’s a few ideas that I gave Joanne to do instead of exhausting herself in boot-camps to stay active this autumn…
If you’re going to be taking your exercise indoors over the next few months, why not look at changing your exercise regime up by giving different things a go…
If you’re used to running outside at the weekends, you could give the cross-trainer, or treadmill a go instead!
To avoid any injuries and strains, make sure to have a slight incline on the treadmill or the cross-trainer, so they feel similar to the pavements when you run – no surface is completely flat.
You could even jump in the swimming pool. It may not feel like a ‘heart pumping’ activity, but believe it or not, swimming is a great way to tone and strengthen your muscles, as well as giving you a good cardio workout.
And the best thing? You can even get the whole family involved too! My Son Harry loves it – and it beats sitting in front of the TV all weekend.
So there you have it, a few ideas of what you can do to avoid back pain, and keep moving during the colder months, and still feel like you’re getting a good dose of exercise.
And if you want even more tips like this, go to my website: www.paulgoughphysio.com/sports-injury-clinic to collect your free report showing you ways to avoid the 7 most common sports injuries – exercise doesn’t always have to be ‘hard’!
You might know Paul as an expert Columnist who writes weekly health articles for TWO of the North East's biggest daily Newspapers, The Northern Echo And The Hartlepool Mail, he is a regular Speaker at Industry Seminars around the globe and a Radio Personality, often heard on the BBC. Paul has been an expert guest on dozens of Radio shows and regularly interviewed in newspapers, magazines and trade journals all over the world, including the Guardian.
Paul’s background included working extensively in the Premier League with a Top Professional Football Team, and since quitting his job in Professional Football in 2007, his Physio Practice has become the fastest growing in the UK and biggest in the North East. So successful, that companies like BUPA, ASDA, The Vela Group And Coast & Country, repeatedly retain his Physio company's services to keep healthy their own staff and workforce. Paul Gough Physio Rooms is now a large multi-physio, multi clinic speciality practice in Darlington, Durham, Guisborough and Hartlepool.
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