Every January the same thing happens: busy gyms, new trainers and plenty of motivation. And every February we see people in clinic with tendinitis, overload and back pain who started with a little too much enthusiasm. The good news is that almost all of these injuries can be avoided with some planning.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In this guide we explain how to get back to exercise<\/strong> safely, whether you have been inactive for months or have never trained regularly.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The body adapts to what we ask of it, but each tissue does so at its own pace. Your cardiovascular system improves within a few weeks; muscles take a little longer; and tendons, ligaments and bones need months. When your heart and motivation move faster than your tendons, injuries appear.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The most common mistakes we see are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n A simple guideline is not to increase your weekly volume (minutes, kilometres or sets) by more than 10% from one week to the next. If you walk for 30 minutes three days a week this month, do not suddenly switch to running for an hour every day.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The first two or three weeks are for building the habit, not breaking records. Finish each session feeling you could have done a little more.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Strength training protects your joints, improves your posture and reduces injury risk in any sport. You do not need heavy weights: squats, lunges, glute bridges, band rows and planks are an excellent base. Read more in our guide to muscle strengthening<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Two strength sessions a week combined with aerobic activity is an ideal mix for most people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spend 8 to 10 minutes warming up with joint mobility and gentle exercises that gradually increase in intensity. Afterwards, a few minutes of cool-down and gentle stretching<\/a> will help you feel better.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Rest is when the body adapts. Leave at least a day between hard sessions that work the same muscle groups and look after your sleep.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Mild soreness for a day or two is normal. But stop and seek advice if you notice:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Spotting overload early usually means a few days of adjustment. Ignoring it can mean weeks off.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you are dealing with back pain, a grumbling knee or an old injury, the smartest move is to start with an assessment. A physiotherapist can identify strength or mobility deficits and adapt the plan so exercise becomes part of the solution rather than the problem.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you want to start moving this year and do not know where to begin, or you have discomfort holding you back, we help you do it safely. At Therape\u00eda Fisioterapia<\/a> we see patients at Avenida de Europa 3G in Gines (Seville), just minutes from Bormujos, Espartinas, Castilleja de la Cuesta, Valencina and the rest of the Aljarafe area. After a full assessment we design a preventive group and training<\/a> plan tailored to you. You can meet our physiotherapy team<\/a> or book an appointment<\/a> by calling +34 624 244 420<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n For more information from a reliable source, see the World Health Organization on physical activity<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cardiovascular system improves in two to four weeks, muscles in six to eight and tendons and bones need several months. That is why progression should be gradual.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Yes. Mild soreness for a day or two is normal at the start. If the pain is intense, localised or lasts more than a week, seek advice.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n Three to four days is a good guide at the beginning, leaving rest days between hard sessions.<\/p>\n\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n Decided to get fit this year? Here is how to return to exercise gradually and safely so your resolution does not end in an injury.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":1199,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[115,64],"tags":[77,80],"class_list":["post-3891","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-exercise-and-prevention","category-physiotherapy","tag-exercise-therapy","tag-sports-injuries"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3891","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3891"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3891\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4330,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3891\/revisions\/4330"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1199"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3891"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3891"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/therapeiafisioterapia.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3891"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Why we get injured when we return to training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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The golden rule: progress gradually<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Include strength from day one<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Warming up and resting are part of training<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Warning signs you should not ignore<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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A simple plan for the first four weeks<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
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What if you already have an injury or pain?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Get back to exercise safely in Gines<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Frequently asked questions about getting back to exercise<\/h2>\n\n\n
How long does the body take to adapt to exercise?<\/h3>\n
Is it normal to feel sore when returning to training?<\/h3>\n
How many days a week should I train at first?<\/h3>\n
Keep reading on our blog<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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