Tips for active people

Taking care of your own body is of utmost importance.  Make an appointment with an orthopaedist to undergo clinical tests, e.g. USG of your joints in order to make sure that you won’t suffer from the physical activity you are going to undertake. This information will show where you start, how often and how hard you can exercise and in what condition e.g. your joints are.

Prior to becoming more physically active, it is important to set yourself a goal: something easy, visible, achievable, real, and with a achievable deadline. Remember, most of the injuries are caused by overtraining and too little time for recovery.

Take care of proper nutrition and hydration. Provide yourself with equipment that is suitable for you.

Don’t forget about proper warm-up and stretching both before and after the training.

Plan your training, give yourself some time to get into it, avoid overtraining, be systematic, adjust your physical effort to your capabilities, remember to rest and relax. Efficient training will make you feel much better and your physical fitness will improve. Do not to train too much, too often without a proper biological regeneration, as it may result in having an injury.

The training should be varied and carried out in intervals (mix running with swimming, riding a bike, fitness, gym) in order to provide your body with multiple stimuli.  It will improve your physical condition, strengthen your muscles and support your joints.

Don’t hesitate to make increases to the intensity of your training. They must be, however gradual – even if you seem to be bursting with energy during the workout and being able to achieve much more.

Listen to your body. If you feel discomfort or pain, slow down or give up training.  Continuing the workout when you have a pain in your muscles or they are stiff, can lead to irregular physical patterns that can end up in your health being seriously harmed over longer period of time.

In case of an injury, stop training and employ RICE training method: take some rest, treat the injury with cold compresses, press the injured joint a few centimetres above and below it, down using elasticated bandage. Lift your injured limb above your heart in order to minimalize the risk of swelling.

Remember about prevention, so as about taking proper care of your joints, muscles and ligaments. Think of accustoming joints regeneration therapy. They will protect structures not only from being overloaded but also from micro-injuries and strains. They will also delay the natural aging process which affects your joints.  Neglected injuries may cause chronic diseases, e.g. tennis elbow, inflammation of the Achilles’ tendon, runner’s or jumper’s knee or other serious injuries, e.g. a rupture of knee ligaments. Consequently, you may be forced to give up your favourite workout for a long period of time.