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Having a holiday break is vital for your recovery, it can be used to help motivate you. However, when it comes to returning back to exercise, some care should be taken as going from zero to 100 in an instant is a recipe for disaster and injuries! 

Don’t worry though! 

This blog is going to explain the top 3 things you can do to ensure a smooth return to exercise. This will help you get the most from your exercise and avoid any time-consuming and unfortunate injuries. 

Progressive Overload

When you are on holiday, the muscles are resting from the stimulus that is normally provided through exercise, and will not be able to tolerate the same amount of stimulus upon return. 

Progressive overload is the training principle that we implement here at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy, and it is where we gradually increase the frequency, intensity, or duration of any exercise to ensure that the return to exercise is smooth and injury-free. 

A common case we see here at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy is clients returning to the gym after holidays. To give an example of what progressive overload looks like for this case it is important to establish where the client’s progress was prior to holidays. To quantify the intensity of the exercise for the client, we implement the Rate of Perceived Exertion scale (see image below). 

Example: 

Pre-holiday training regime – Weight training 4x/week with all exercises at RPE 7-8 

Post-holiday training regime (with progressive overload implemented)– Weight training 2x/week for 1 week with all exercises at RPE 7-8, and then increasing 1x training sessions per week until back at pre-holiday training frequency. 

There are three main benefits of implementing progressive overload upon your return to exercise:

• Prevention of injury (muscle recovery)

As your muscles will still think they are on holiday when you commence your exercise again, altering the frequency, intensity, and intensity of exercise will ensure your body will adapt to exercising again and your muscles have optimal time to recover in between exercise sessions. 

• Prevention of Overtraining 

Overtraining is defined as when there is inadequate recovery in between training sessions. When this occurs, it is common to feel significantly weaker when exercising and even “sluggish” at times, while putting you at a much higher risk of injury. 

• Increasing the threshold for progress 

As your muscles have had a chance to rest while you have been on holidays, progressively returning to exercise will allow for increased performance 

Stretching

One of the biggest contributing factors to injury upon returning to exercise after holidays is the muscle tightness that accumulates from inactivity and being out of routine. Excessive muscle tightness will place your muscles at a higher risk of straining and possibly delaying your return to exercise.

Taking the time to loosen out tight muscles can be tedious, however, it is also one of the easiest things to add into your schedule. Muscle loosening can be done in as little as 10mins, a couple of times throughout the week, so while you’re already getting up a little early to do some exercise, your muscle loosening could be done at the end of this session or at the end of the day! 

But the results are never instant! 

Physiotherapists should be the first point of contact when looking to loosen out tight muscles. 

At Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy, we perform a thorough musculoskeletal assessment to determine the specific areas of your body that require muscle loosening, and then tailor a specific return to exercise physiotherapy plan which involves targeted stretching, and manual therapy (such as trigger point release, soft tissue mobilisation etc.) to speed up the muscle loosening process. Afterwards, a personalised home exercise program will be prescribed to ensure that there is optimal progress between physiotherapy sessions. 

Optimal Recovery 

Whether you are a casual exercise enthusiast or a top-level athlete, recovery in between exercise sessions is vital to peak performance and injury prevention. However, to achieve optimal recovery, it is important to understand the difference between short-term recovery vs. long-term recovery. 

Short-term recovery: occurs immediately after resting from exercise (e.g. in between sets in the gym) which allows for muscles to eliminate waste products from contraction. Short-term recovery can be anywhere from a few seconds to a few minutes and it is important to replenish the energy stores after each set (we recommend drinking electrolyte-based drinks such as Powerade/Gatorade). 

Long-term recovery: refers to the period of time between exercise sessions. This is the most essential type of recovery as it is the time period AFTER exercise when the body adapts to the stimulus applied during exercise. 

But what does optimal recovery feel like? 

• You feel minimal to no muscle soreness at all before commencing your next exercise session 
• You do not feel “sluggish” or fatigued prior to exercise

To ensure optimal recovery,  at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy we always recommend: 

• Getting minimum 8-hours of sleep to allow the body to repair 
• Staying hydrated everyday 
• Stretching before and after exercise
• Eating a well-balanced diet 

Are you based in Brisbane City? Remember, if you are still unsure or are interested in a tailored return to an exercise plan, contact us and let our physiotherapists at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy assist you today!

References: 

1. Precision Performance Coaching (2019), digital image, accessed 22 February 2022, https://precisionperformancecoaching.com/what-is-progressive-overload/
2. Marathon Handbook (2020), digital image, accessed 22 February 2022, https://marathonhandbook.com/rate-of-perceived-exertion

Swimming is evolving! To keep up with the best, or avoid injuries, you should be smart about strengthening outside the pool. 

Gone are the days of giant beefed up swim machines. Today’s Olympic swimmers are much leaner, hydrodynamic strong bodies that promote more efficient movement patterns. 

This blog will highlight some of the injury risks involved with swimming, some of the most common simmer injuries and go through some simple strength exercises that will help to reduce muscle fatigue, improve technique and keep you in the water for as long as possible. 

SWIM SMART, NOT JUST STRONG!

Common Swimming Injuries

Swimming neck pain tends to occur in the slightly older generation as shoulder and trunk movement start to become more difficult. The neck will then try to compensate and move further into range in order to breathe. Improving mobility and strength in these areas will reduce tension to the muscles that connect to the neck and deload the joints. 

Shoulder pain tends to come from muscles and tendons under stress including the Rotator Cuff or shoulder stabilizing muscles like trapezius or lats. Swimming places a high demand on these muscles to generate power and control with each stroke. This demand is also increased with reduced trunk mobility and poor shoulder mechanics, leading to swimming shoulder injuries.  

Anterior hip pain can often occur for those with chronically tight hip flexors, adductors and weakened core. These are often cross training athletes like triathletes or even those suffering from chronic low back pain. Mobility and strengthening exercises for core stabilizers often help to resolve this. 

Calf cramps are not too common but still dreaded by many swimmers. They tend to appear more in those with either weak or tight calves, using fins or even runners cross training. Stretching and foam rolling pre training can reduce the chances of cramping slightly, however strengthening should be implemented as soon as possible.

Why Strengthen Control / Stability muscles?

Strong swimming, fast swimming or long distance swimming all rely on a core foundation of technique and efficiency in the water. In order to be more efficient you need to maintain correct body posture and coordinate movement of the trunk and limbs, which all rely on stabilizing muscles. 

For example, a weak core and poor head / neck position will likely lead to hips sinking lower in the water, which then increases load to the shoulders and back muscles trying to compensate. 

In Physio terminology we often use the term proprioception, which is the body’s ability to sense where and how body parts are moving. Swimming efficiently challenges your body’s positioning awareness and the ability to do this well often relies on stabilizing muscles. 

Take home here is, in order to improve swimming efficiency and reduce injury risk, strengthen stability muscles and work on technique as often as possible. Swimming in the water alone is not enough to be the best swimmer you can be, or adequately avoid injury.

Swimming Pilates Exercises

NOW THE GOOD STUFF

Mobility 

Thread Needle (+ variation) – this exercise will improve trunk mobility with breathing and strokes. 

Hip Flexor stretch – this stretch is aimed at loosening up those chronically tight hip flexors and deep core. 

Windmill arms – such an ancient movement in swimming that is still used, don’t believe me? Watch the Olympic pool deck pre race as the swimmers get ready to dive in. Don’t swing about like a goose however, think about the shoulder blade, the shoulder ball and socket, elbow and trunk all moving ready for the water. 

Strength

Band Rotations – targeting the rotator cuff. Swimming places an unusually high load onto the muscles and due to their smaller size, often become problematic. Simple and effective exercise. 

W-Ys – still targets rotator cuff with massive trapezius activity aimed at scapula mobility. Also a great exercise to strengthen neck and head stabilizers. 

Bear Crawl – Again working on Scap mobility now in more of a weight bearing position. 

Deadbugs – targeting core and trunk stability to reduce load to low back and improve water positioning.

Happy New Year! We know most people set new year resolutions, and we know for most people ‘Health & Fitness’ is one of the top agendas. But before you start making drastic decisions, it’s important to consider the implications of these kinds of resolutions, particularly for newcomers to the fitness world or to those trying to make a comeback, it can be a fine line between getting the body you’ve dreamed of and incurring injuries you never asked for.

So, whether you are just starting out, or looking to revamping an old exercise routine, this easy 5-Step New Year’s Workout Plan will ensure a seamless start to 2022.

1. Getting Started

Alright, so you’re new to this or it’s been a little while since you’ve tested yourself, and you have no idea how you would feel during or after exercising, or have any knowledge of what your body can actually handle! We would HIGHLY recommend you to seek clearance from your GP and physiotherapist just to clear things such as high blood pressure, joint mobility, or any other underlying health issues that would deter your workout plan. This way, you know exactly what your body can tolerate and know what level you should embark on your fitness plan. Your safety is the first priority! 

2. Choose Your Flavour!

Now, you’re ready to choose what exercise entices you! Exercise will never look the same for any two people, so it’s important you find what you are passionate about and what you can commit to long term. The broad variety of exercise options, while it can initially be daunting, means there will be one to suit your goals and interests.

Some great places to think about to get you started are:

• OUR PICK → Clinical Reformer Pilates
  • Easy on your joints, easy to get started, and possibly the best way to get your body moving in the safest hands of a physiotherapist
  • Exercises are tailored to each individual’s body, desires, and goals
  • This combines physio and fitness to create a supportive and challenging environment
• Social sport
  • Joining a casual sporting team is a great way to connect with friends and get moving
• Fitness classes
  • Take advantage of Brisbane City’s many New Year fitness class deals and try out different exercise styles
  • It is great to have an instructor to help structure and direct the exercises if you are just starting out
  • Classes are a great beginner workout as they often have ways to make exercises easier or harder depending on your ability
• Gym
  • A gym membership allows some autonomy in your exercise plan, allowing you to workout how you want, when you want
  • If this solo fitness journey is not really what you’re looking for, seeing a physiotherapist or personal trainer is a great way to help you get started
• Home exercise
  • You don’t necessarily have to leave home to exercise. Searching “home workout” on the internet will direct you to an endless supply of home exercise tutorials to follow along with at home
  • Some fun ones to try are:
    • Calisthenics (body weight-based exercises) workout
    • Minimal equipment home workout
    • High-intensity interval training workout
    • At-home yoga

3. Set Realistic Goals!

Goal setting is an important element in directing your exercises. It is crucial that you can set a specific and achievable goal to be targeted within a timeframe. The most important question to ask yourself is ‘what do you want your health to look like?’. Some great examples of achievable goals might be to be able to:

• Run 5km in 30 mins by December 2022
• Successfully do a single leg squat by March 2022
• Climb a flight of stairs without feeling breathless by February 2022

These are goals that you can work towards as part of your weekly workout plan. They don’t have to be big goals, but rather, ones that you can see yourself achieving.

4. Injury prevention

Unfortunately, even with the best preparation, it is still quite common to see overuse injuries and burnout when jumping straight into a new fitness regime. This is because our bodies need time to adjust to a new kind of movement and the load that this movement has on joints, ligaments, and muscle groups. There are a few ways that we can reduce this risk, and ease into a new activity:

• The 24-hour rule
  • This simply says to try just one new exercise and wait for 24-hours to see how you feel
  • You can expect to feel some post-exercise soreness in your muscles during this time, as they may not be used to that kind of movement
  • But if you are feeling well after the 24-hours, you are good to do that exercise again

• Recovery!
  • Remember that recovery is an important part of health and wellbeing
  • This is all about ensure that you are getting enough sleep and supplying your body with the nutrients it needs to get through the day
  • For an adult, this means sleeping 7-8 hours, as well as eating and drinking the right foods, in the right portions for your age and sex
  • Your joint and muscle tissue need all of these things for growth and repair

At the end of the day, it is all about patience. The slow progression of exercise drastically decreases your chance of incurring these overuse and burnout injuries. It is also great for your mental health and well-being, knowing you are setting yourself achievable goals that can be readjusted as you progress.

5. Consistency

For a lot of Aussies, New Year’s resolutions will start to drop off by about April. This is largely due to a dip in motivation, and an increase in the stress and time commitment of things like work and family. After all, life happens, but we do have some tips and tricks to help you stay consistent over the course of the year:

• Exercise with a friend – find a friend you can exercise with and use that time to catch up and push each other to work harder
• Fit in small sessions when you can – it can be hard to find time to workout when you are busy, but even 10 minutes of exercise a day can make a world of difference. Short yoga or stretching or workout videos online are a great way to stick to something shorter.
• Change your goals – sometimes your end goal is not always the goal you will hit first, adding smaller, achievable goals can help you stay motivated along the journey
• Try something new – if you are losing motivation because you are not enjoying the exercise anymore, change things up. Finding something different can get you excited to exercise again and boost your motivation up a notch.

Follow these 5-step processes to re-assess your motivation, your goals, and your current fitness level, and go again!

Remember that fitness goals are not as easy to achieve but it is important to never give up, particularly because you sustain a mild setback due to an injury. Come in and see one of our expert sports physiotherapists if you have any niggles or injures that are holding you back. They will be able to take you through the best exercise for you and your fitness level. 

You never know, we might see you in our next clinical pilates class at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy in Brisbane CBD.

Working from home during peak COVID time was great. But now that everyone is returning back to the office, many individuals are experiencing headaches and associated neck/shoulder tightness. 


Don’t worry though! This blog is going to explain why these headaches occur in the first place, what you can do to prevent headaches from occurring, or if you are experiencing headaches already, what you can do to start to get rid of these headaches. 


What is a headache? 

There are many different types of headaches. 

Tension-type headache (TTH) is one of the most common (prevalent) forms of headache. The pain is typically felt on both sides of the head rather than just occurring on one side of the head and causes a sensation of pressing or tightening. 

The headaches are of mild to moderate intensity and are not aggravated by routine exercise such as walking. While tension headaches do not cause nausea, many people report sensitivity to light and sound. Headaches last between 30 minutes to seven days. 

What causes headaches? 

The two biggest causes of headaches are poor posture and work ergonomics.

Poor posture causes the upper back, neck, and shoulders to be positioned in a way that causes tightening of the muscles around this area. When you are sitting in this poor posture for ~8 hours a day, this tension will accumulate and eventually cause an uncomfortable headache. 

Work Ergonomics and Poor Posture 

Forward neck: 

When your monitor or laptop is too far forward from your head in your workstation, this will cause your neck to poke forward over time. Another common cause of this poor posture is if you sit too far back from the desk. 

Rounded shoulders:

Similar to forward neck, when your monitor or laptop is too far forward, you may find yourself slouching or ‘hunching’ over the desk to get into a more comfortable position. Sitting in this position causes muscle weakness in our upper back/shoulders, and excessive tension into the neck/shoulders. 

Raised shoulders: 

When your laptop or monitor position is too high up, you may find yourself needing to shrug your shoulders up or bending your neck backwards to compensate. Another culprit is if you are sitting too low in your workstation and resting your elbows on the desk at the same time. In both scenarios, this will cause the neck and shoulder muscles to accumulate excessive tension which will eventually cause a headache. 

The solution (refer to image below): 

Reposition the monitor so that it is roughly one arm’s length away from your body. Raise the monitor so that your eyes are in line with the top third of the screen when you look straight ahead. 

Sit on an adjustable height swivel chair, ensuring that both feet are resting flat on the ground and the front of the seat is not pressing on the back of the knees. 

Keep your elbow close to the body and your upper back straight. 

What do I do if I am already getting headaches?

If you are feeling headaches already, it is vital to incorporate targeted stretching of your upper back, neck, and shoulder muscles into your daily routine to ensure that the muscle tension that has accumulated has a chance to relax. 

There are three main stretches that are effective in reducing the symptoms of headaches and targeting the root cause. 

1. Levator Scapulae Stretch (sitting) 

• Sitting down on a chair, with one hand on anchoring you down 
• Turn your head to the side opposite to the hand that is anchoring you down 
• With your free hand, grasp the back of your head and gently pull downwards until you feel a stretch and hold for 30 seconds. 

2. Thoracic Extension stretch (sitting)

• Place your hands behind your neck, take a inhale deeply and lean your upper back over the back of the chair. Pause for 2 seconds. 
• Exhale while returning to starting position
• Repeat 10 times 

3. Latissimus dorsi stretch (standing) 

• Stand with your hands against the wall (as shown in image below) keeping your arms and back straight
• Sink your chest down towards the ground until you feel a stretch underneath your apartments and into your upper back 
• Hold for 30 seconds 

Are you based in Brisbane City? Remember, if you are still unsure or you think you need assistance with preventing or treating your headaches, contact us and let our physiotherapists at Leaders Sports & Spine Physiotherapy assist you today!