Acute Injury Management

How to kick-start your running year (again) . . .

It goes without saying that recent times have thrown up their share of challenges for runners. Altered work conditions, home schooling, events cancelled – it has been a time of huge change for all Australians.  Running is more than a sport, it is a lifestyle, an anchor to our true selves, our outlet, our stress relief, and our social life. During the Covid-19 restrictions, many of these aspects of running have been taken away from us and it is only now that we can start looking towards a future where we can run again with confidence. If you have found yourself lacking your usual running fix, how do you kick start your running year again?

1. Set achievable goals
Whether you have had a lay-off from running, are brand new to the sport, or are just looking for some added motivation do get you going this year, you need to set some goals. Goals act as the carrot, the reward at the end of all your hard work and training. However, we need to be careful about setting goals. If the goal is too ambitious, then it may be too out of reach and actually be more off-putting than motivating. Pick something that you are confident you can achieve, with a bit of work (don’t make it too easy either), and set a realistic time frame. For example, the goal of “I want to run a 5k in under 25 minutes by the end of August” is a great goal if you can currently run 26 minutes but not such a great goal if you are currently completing it in 35 minutes. Likewise, setting a timeframe helps to add some urgency to your goal setting. Remember your SMART (Specific, Measureable, Achievable, Realistic, Timely) goals? Well this is your chance to put the theory into practice!

2. Build routine
​We are creatures of habit and the single best thing you can do to kick yourself back into the habit of running is to create a routine. The routine itself doesn’t specifically matter, as long as you create the routine and stick to it. If you are brand new to running or haven’t run for a long time, then set yourself a routine of trying to do some kind of exercise every day. Keep the bouts of exercise themselves short and very achievable and focus more on the routine than trying to get a killer workout at each session. Always think about tomorrows session so that you are always keeping the routine alive and in your thoughts. An example for a person who wants to run 3 hours per week could be: rather than running 3x 1 hour (actually giving you 4 days per week when not running), splits the 3 hours into 6 runs of 30 minutes with a strength session of 30 minutes on the seventh day. This creates the habit and routine of training daily and is something that can be built upon easily in the coming weeks.

3. Explore somewhere new
​If you are anything like me you will tend to run the same routes and the same laps and loops on a regular basis. This is actually a good idea because, as we discussed above, building a routine is paramount in getting the consistency to your training. However, when you are starting back up, it presents a great opportunity to check out some new trails or routes, perhaps exploring areas close to home that you don’t normally run or heading further afield to tackle a new mountain or a new trail. Talk to other runners and get some ideas about places you can run that you might not have considered. In recent weeks I have personally found a couple of really nice trails that are really close to home, but that I had never considered exploring before. Now I know they are there, I will include them in my regular training routine.

4. Focus on technique
​Running technique is crucial for efficiency and to minimise your risk of injury. Good running technique will enable you to run further and faster, and to enjoy the running more than ever. A great time to start working on your running technique is after you have had a bit of a lay-off or don’t have any pressing events on the horizon. It takes time to perfect a new technique and in the short term you may find your running performance actually reduces slightly and muscles you didn’t even know you had, start working harder than ever before (hello calves and hamstrings!).  This is fine and will improve with practice, and whilst you are getting back into your full training is a great time to implement these changes.

5. Dream big
​What is your dream event, your lifetime running goal? Maybe it is a 5k PB, a marathon, a trail ultra, an overseas event – we all have bucket list goals. Now is the time to really dream big and take inspiration from these long term blue sky challenges. The surge of adrenaline from visualising the start of your next big challenge or event will help you set short term goals, build your routine, and get back out there on the roads and trails.

I hope that has helped provide some tips and inspiration for the rest of your running year

May your dreams be big and your worries stay small.

Dave Coombs –Physiotherapist / Running Coach

To see more from Dave Coombs you can find his page on the link provided http://www.davecoombs.com.au/

Aerobic Flush recovery session

What is an aerobic flush recovery session?

On the days in between intense physical activity and training it is extremely common to become physically and mentally fatigued.

With sports coming back and athletes ready to give it there absolute best and kick the year off with a bang! It is likely that at some point you may begin to feel drained both physically and mentally.

Although this may indicate that you need a bit of a rest from your sport and take some time off there is a minor risk that you may lose some of your conditioning during this brief period. There are some alternative ways to maintain your condition and have a break at the same time.

An “aerobic flush” recovery session is a commonly used tool in elite sports to enhance recovery amongst there athletes.

There are many reasons as to why an aerobic flush can be beneficial to add to your routine. Firstly aerobic flush sessions have the capacity to identify any niggles that may need addressing. Secondly they allow the body the opportunity to reduce or “flush” any metabolic waste that is caused by high intensity exercise. Lastly it also provides the athlete with an opportunity to freshen there mind and give them a mental change up from there normal sports.

To give you an example:

Say you are a semi-professional or up and coming AFL player. You are currently training three times a week for about an hour and a half each time and have a game on the weekend.

You can see how this might become quite physically and mentally demanding.

As an “aerobic flush” you can play a low intensity game of soccer or go play a game of tennis instead.

As stated above this can be beneficial both from a physical and mental perspective. In fact there is good evidence to suggest that low intensity exercise can have a positive affect on muscle soreness.

If you would like to find out more about recovery and aerobic flush recovery sessions please refer to our previous article on injury prevention and recovery or please feel free to contact us here at the clinic.

Chris Pearson
Physiotherapist

Injury prevention with return to sport

Injury Prevention Post COVID

Now that local sports are coming back there is the expectation that some teams will be playing multiple games in the same week. It is known that a large spike in activity places players at increased risk of injury. Here are a few tips to try and reduce your risk of getting injured during this busy time of the year.

1. Steadily increase your workload

• From this point on it would be an excellent idea to steadily increase your workload over the next few weeks
• For example, if you are returning back to football and generally run around 5-6km during a game, initially start of by running 1-2km during a training session and then steadily increase your distance over a few weeks

2. Adequate warm up and cool down

• As always make sure you spend 10-15 minutes doing a good warm up and cool down
• A good warm up will include a period of Jogging, some dynamic stretches and some sport specific skill drills
• A good cool down will include a period of Jogging, some passive stretching and some foam rolling

3. Optimise your recovery

Recovery and rest are arguably the most important aspect of your training

• Recovery techniques like using a foam roller or spiky ball, cold water immersion and massage are excellent things you can add to your routine to get the most out of your recovery
• Most importantly make sure you get an adequate amount of sleep and eat good nutritious food.

4. Listen to your body

• If you begin to feel a bit more tired than normal its likely because your body is struggling to keep up with the demands that your sport is placing on you. This might be a good indication to either give yourself an extra day for recovery or to reduce your current workload to a more suitable amount
• If you don’t want to completely reduce your workload, a nice way you can do this is by doing an “aerobic flush”. An example of an “aerobic flush” includes a small 30-minute low intensity game of soccer or a game of touch

5. Get your niggles sorted

• If you have been struggling with an injury and it has not fully recovered now is an excellent time to see your physiotherapist for an assessment. This will allow you to set a plan and complete specific rehabilitation work before the season kicks off. Your physiotherapist can also help guide your return to increased activity. Contact the clinic today on 5578 7155 to discuss how we can help you return to the sporting field in peak condition.

I have a strong core, why do I have back pain?

The prevalence of chronic lower back pain has increased more than 100% in the last decade and continue’s to increase dramatically in the ageing population.
For many years the claim that “strengthening your core muscles” and performing exercises that promote “core stability” has been widely accepted as one of the most effective options for people with lower back pain. However more recently these claims have been challenged due to a lack of merit and supportive evidence. The reality is that there are many factors which can contribute to lower back pain and this does
include things like mental health, physical activity levels, sleep and diet. One thing we are confident of is that people with chronic lower back pain need to remain physically active, because long periods of inactivity can negatively affect recovery. Although at this stage it is still unknown as too what form of exercise is best for the management of
lower back pain, we can be confident that general exercises that we enjoy can be beneficial.

Lets provide you with few examples:
1. Walking
Walking is commonly recommended to relieve pain and improve function in people with persistent
lower back pain and this is well supported by evidence.
2. Aquatic Exercise
Water based exercises like swimming and water running and walking can also be very effective for
people with persistent lower back pain. In fact studies demonstrate that water based exercises can
promote an improvement in pain levels, physical function and mental health.
3. Yoga
Yoga is becoming increasingly popular over the past years and there is a good abundance of
evidence that yoga can reduce back pain and disability. The other great thing about yoga is that it
can be done both in a group (via video of course!) or it can be done by yourself at home.
If you would like to find out more about how physiotherapy can help with your lower back pain and
would like an exercise program to help, please feel free to contact us at the clinic. Or call 5578-7155

Chris Pearson
Physiotherapist

Tips to keep you active while your sport is on hold

We often see an increase in injuries when there is a spike in activity- pre season or returning to sport after a holiday are good examples of this. With all sporting league and activities currently on hold, it is important to try and maintain your fitness as much as possible to avoid this spike in load on your return to sport when allowed. Here are some tips to keep you active over the next couple of months:

1. Try and maintain a schedule- if you are used to training twice a week then continue to allocate two sessions a week to ‘at home training’. Keeping a consistent load will help avoid any major drops or spikes in load which are often linked to soft tissue injuries. The Department of Health recommend kids aim for 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous activity per day while adults should aim for 30 minutes
2. Sport specific injury prevention programs- now is a great time to complete these programs such as the FIFA 11+ for soccer or KNEE program for netball. Both of these programs incorporate strengthening exercises that can be done with very little space needed. They aim to improve your strength, balance and co-ordination to help prevent soft tissue injuries and improve your movement efficiency. Aim to complete
a strength program like this 2-3 times per week, it should take roughly 20 mins per session.
3. Break up your ‘at home training’ into cardio, strength and skill if possible. Access to fields and equipment is limited so get creative! Your cardio may now be riding a bike (stationary or out on a path/road), swimming in your pool at home or going out for a run around the neighbourhood. If you don’t have a home gym set up your strengthening can be done with body weight exercises, injury prevention programs
(ideas listed above) or via virtual classes. There are a few Pilates studios/gyms offering virtual exercise classes that you can complete at home.
4. Don’t forget to warm up/cool down- just like your usual sport training session would include a warm up, don’t forget to do this as part of your ‘at home training’ as well. This could be as simple as a brisk walk, light jog, dynamic stretches etc for your warm up.
5. Good time to get your niggles sorted- have you been struggling with a bit of soreness/tightness on and off so far this year? Now is a great time to see your physio for an assessment and work on any rehab while the season is on hold so you can return fit and ready to go!