Good luck if you are just embarking on a new exercise regime trying to get fit in the New Year. Exercising is one of the best ways to get healthy and stay that way, but like anything worthwhile it requires effort and commitment. Yet, as our team of osteopaths have observed each New Year, sudden increased physical activity often leads to due to individuals adopting too much exercise with inadequate rest and recovery time. This doesn’t help when you’re starting a new fitness regime!
In this blog we share some tips on how you can maintain fitness while still taking care of yourself during your downtime. Resting is an important yet oftentimes neglected aspect of conditioning that should not be overlooked if you wish to achieve optimal results. Here are some of our top tips on getting fit in the New Year:
Start slowly, build gradually
Remember to get fit at your own pace. What that pace is, depends on your level of fitness to start with, the demands of your daily life, and any injuries or other health issues.
Although it is tempting to want to get results as quickly as possible, hitting your new regime hard and fast increases the likelihood of injury. It’s important that you give your body enough time to adjust to the new routine. There is a 10% rule to abide by, for example – do not increase your running mileage by more than 10% a week. Think long term – injuries sometimes take a while to develop, so keep your ultimate goals in mind. After all, if you miss a few weeks due to injury you’ll push yourself back on your new fitness regime!
Build in rest and recovery time
This is fundamental to general good health and wellbeing. Regular rest periods give your body a chance to recover, adapt and strengthen beyond your initial level of fitness – a process called ‘super-compensation’.
Supercompensation is the adaptive response of our bodies to an exercise and fitness programme. Getting your work-to-recovery balance right means you will achieve better results long-term.
Each individual has his or her own optimum level of exercise and recovery, working to increase their base fitness level over time.
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Good quality rest and recovery are even more relevant if your day-to-day life is stressful. Don’t make your fitness regime yet another strain on your body if you’re already struggling with long, stressful days at work. There’s no harm in postponing exercise to a day when you have more time and energy for it. You’ll enjoy it more, too!
Know Your Body
Knowledge is power – get to know your body and understand your limits. Listen to your body and get familiar with what it can handle and how it responds to exercise. Your muscles, tendons, and ligaments take more time to adjust to physical activity than you may anticipate. Build in time to let your soft tissues adjust to new stresses to prevent injury occurring.
Don’t forget the mental wellbeing aspect of your New Year fitness regime. Find an activity you enjoy – choose a form of exercise that makes you happy so that it becomes something to look forward to instead of another chore. This will help motivate you in the long-term.
Osteopathy can help you get fit
Our osteopaths can help you design your regime to help get fit this New Year. Especially if you have old injuries or weak areas, get in touch with us if you have any questions or experience any pain. Our team of highly experienced osteopaths are here to give you the support and advice needed to get fit without injury.
Follow these top tips from our osteopaths and get fit in the New Year safely, effectively and with enjoyment! Best of luck on your get fit journey.
