Hello, people... !
Welcome to the changing room on this very cold and snowy day here in the Staffs Moorlands.
I am a tad late today,,, whizzing around and here and there... and ready for a sit down!
Take a seat and a warm or cold drink, and relax.
A bit of an odd subject today and one I did not really expect to be thinking about in depth again, but... here I am !
I have had , as many folk are aware, a bit of a lay off from exercise , and have been building back very slowly until I felt strong enough to continue my regular chosen exercise. This is where the amazing choice of support exercise, here on the forum has paid dividends.
Now, because I am here, there and everywhere on the forums, it has been fairly noticeable that many of our forum friends are suffering a tad. Not from injury sustained through an exercise problem , but from the nasty viruses and illnesses that are currently taking hold. Influenza, Norovirus and our old, (and new), constant companion, Covid.
The advice, which we have put out on all our forums during the pandemic, still stand, but, much of the advice is relevant to much of what ails us...So, however seemingly depressing this post may seem... and it is not intended as such... it is perhaps something that we may find helpful.
I do know that when I began my comeback, in the months at the end of 2023, I did rely on previous advice and lessons learned.
Now...Where do we go from here?
Any illness of any severity, impacts us; all of us. We do have an amazing machine in the form of our body... but it can be impaired or faulty or damaged, We need to be aware and to look after it! Maintain it and manage it.
Any of these illnesses mentioned plus others, can affects people in different ways.
The way that the illnesses affect us and how to recover are constantly changing, ( especially with the latest Covid variants).
Because we are so wonderfully different, our recovery and come back times will be different.
Okay... let's start with what we all know is essential for all of us, whatever sport we indulge in.
Rest
When we are recovering from illness or injury, it's important to get more rest than usual.
This is because your body needs time to heal, but, remembering too, that resting for too long can sometimes, cause problems.
The less you use your muscles, the weaker they become. Lethargy and more tiredness may result. It is cyclic.
The next step therefore is..
Finding a balance.
Start at a pace that feels comfortable or easy for you.
Be consistent and do small amounts of activity regularly.
Building back up.
After beginning...think about adding a little more.. .slow and steady. .
Don't be over ambitious, doing too much could tire you and set you back.
Try to manage what you do.
Do what feels right...you may feel like doing more, but try to be realistic.
Be patient, accept what you are able to do and acknowledge there are things that will have to wait.
Maybe plan the exercises or activities you would like to do, then think which you would like to try first.
Be prepared to tweak the plan if need be
So there it is... short and sweet?
The danger is for many of us, doing too much too soon... an extra kilometer or two on that walk... another kilometer done on a run taken too soon after illness. Working out for a longer time than is wise... and pushing too hard, too fast, in order to get back to normal.
We do have to try, hard, as it may be, to give ourselves time. The sports and activities whatever they are, will wait... they will still be there., when we and our body are good and ready.
So... is anyone going to 'fess up, to doing too much too soon?
I am probably a tad over cautious and I do maybe take it slower and steadier than is sometime necessary, but that is right for me... what about other folk? Is anyone coming back from illness, and has some tips or advice for us to share?
Looking forward to seeing you hearing your news...
Oldfloss x
