Getting the best from sport 

Taking part in sport or keeping fit can be rewarding, improve your health and reduce your risk of serious illnesses, such as heart problems, stroke, or cancer. It can also help maintain, or lose weight and improve your self-esteem. Adults between the ages of 19 – 64 are advised to do at least 150 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity per week. This can include activities like brisk walking, cycling or aqua aerobics. It is also recommended to perform exercises to strengthen all the main muscle groups (arms, legs and body) twice a week. It has been shown that, those who are active and have experience of exercise find they recover more quickly and easily from their injuries. Even if you are active regularly, you should aim to minimise the amount of time you spend sitting for extended periods. Sport has become a way of life for many in the UK, with participants ranging from elite athletes to those who just aim to keep fit.

STARTING EXERCISE

It is important to warm up properly beforehand, warm down and stretch after exercise which reduces strains. Using inappropriate equipment or wearing the wrong footwear may hinder your performance. A previous injury, an unresolved injury, can make it difficult to get started.

How can your osteopath help?

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU GET AN INJURY?

It is common to feel minor discomfort after training, as the body takes a little time to recover and adapt to the demands of activities. Soreness often quickly resolves itself, but it may persist for more than a few days or make it difficult for you to continue your normal activities. In these instances, you may want to seek advice from an osteopath. Participating in sports too frequently or hard may result in an injury.

OSTEOPATHIC CARE AND REHABILITATION

Osteopathic care is based on the individual structure and needs of the patient and so varies depending on age, fitness levels and diagnosis. Osteopaths use a wide range of gentle hands-on techniques, focusing on releasing tension, stretching muscles, mobilising joints, finding and releasing old injuries patterns. These are often used with exercise and helpful advice, together with strapping or taping, all of which are designed to relieve pain, help return to normal activity levels and maintain the best of health. As well as treating injuries, osteopaths may offer advice about optimal nutrition or a sport-specific diet. 

How to help yourself?

• Begin your activity slowly and build up intensity, especially after an injury
• Drink plenty of water when you are thirsty, especially if exercising
• Exercise regularly and try to vary the types of exercise you do for all over body fitness
• If you believe you have injured a limb, then rest, ice, compression and elevation may help, but seek advice if you are worried.
• Normal soft tissue healing time can be up to 12 weeks (if no other injuries occur). Ifyou’re worried at all about an injury in the short, medium or long term it is worth seeking further advice.

https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/get-running-with-couch-to-5k/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flex-exercise-plan/
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/exercise/strength-and-flex-exercise-plan-how-videos/

These podcasts were specifically developed to provide exercise and routines that meets department of health physical activity guidelines, which state that adults aged 19-64 should do muscle-strengthening activities on at least 2 days a week.

The exercises in these podcasts were devised and scripted with the help of YMCA fit, one of the UK’s trainers of fitness professionals.