Returning to Physical Activity

Getting back into life as restrictions ease

So as the COVID-19 restrictions on the Gold Coast begin to ease many of us are returning to our “normal” lifestyle. With these restrictions easing we are seeing many people return to their jobs, gyms and competitive sports.

Normal for January

Now this usually happens in January after the Christmas break, but because of the Corona virus restrictions, this has us in an unusual and rather unprecedented situation. This particularly longer than normal period of time away from work, gyms, team sports, such as soccer, rugby, AFL and even combat sports like jujitsu and other martial arts, is likely to see an increase in injury due to our conditioning not being at a level we would typically expect. We therefore should expect prepare for a greater risk than normal when it comes to physical injuries, especially those requiring Physiotherapy.

Usually through regular participation in physical activities like physical work, gym and sports, we become conditioned to the tasks we are engaging in and these tasks, under normal circumstances,  are tolerated without any serious risk of injury.

Post COVID life however, will see many of us entering a period of time where we have been stood down from our jobs, had our gyms closed and our sports suspended longer than we are used to. This means we are now all at a higher risk of injury when returning to our usual activities.

The most common injuries sustained in professional sport, is often after an absence of 4 weeks of physical activity. When we consider that this is a population whose job it is to be ready to perform, at their best during competition, what about those of us who are not professional athletes? When we consider that on top of 2 months (or more for some) of reduced activity and trying to juggle a family, return to work, gym and sport all at the same time, it is basically a recipe for disaster for those without the support professional athletes have.

If you find yourself suffering a niggling injury, your best course of action is to seek out a physiotherapy assessment, determine the extent of the injury and the best management strategy. The best course of action is early assessment and a treatment plan, to get you back to doing the things you love to do.

A successful outcome

The key to a successful outcome, is working closely with your EP or Physio and learning as much as you can from them. Functional Health have built a wonderful team of passionate therapists throughout the years and this has been the key to our success. Our hands-on approach to treatment is one of the key areas we have focused and this has been well received by our patients. While the process of treatment can be a long road ahead for some, we know that the body will become stronger and more functional, through continual support and management.

Paul Marshall
Accredited Exercise Physiologist
Functional Health