Sticking to your exercise routine can become difficult in winter and it may seem far more tempting to stay rugged up on the couch. This is especially true when your training sessions are outside!
Cold weather isn’t the only winter risk, though. You can also be at more risk of training injuries during this time. This can occur if you rush your routines, skip your usual warm up or warm down, or simply fail to listen to your body.
We’ve put together 5 top tips to help you avoid training injuries this winter, allowing you to take good care of yourself and your body during the cooler months.
1. Layer Up for Winter Workouts
It’s really important to wear suitable clothing during your winter training. This helps to regulate your body temperature the whole way throughout your session.
Lightweight layers are the best way to go, as they allow you to remove clothing as you warm up, and rug up again as you cool down.
Always remember to check the weather outside to see how wet, cold or windy it will be during your run or training session, and dress accordingly. Now you have the perfect excuse to buy more fitness gear while protecting your muscles.
2. Establish a Proper Warm Up Routine
Now that you’re warm on the outside, make sure you take the time to warm up on the inside. Establishing a proper warm up routine before any training session is the key to protecting your body from injury, and it is particularly important during the cooler months.
Warming up helps to loosen your joints and gets the blood flowing throughout your body. Focus on key areas that are prone to injury, or have sustained injury in the past. Be sure to include dynamic stretching for a full body warm up and improved range of motion as static stretches on cold muscles could lead to muscle injuries.
3. Keep Your Water Up
Even though you may not be feeling the scorching heat of summer, you still need to make sure you drink enough water throughout your workouts.
You might not feel like you are sweating much in winter, but your body will continue to lose water through sweat and breathing when exercising, and you can easily become dehydrated.
Staying hydrated will ensure you keep fatigue and delayed recovery time at bay.
4. Winter Cool Down for Muscles
Just as warming up is essential to your workout, warming down is a key factor in avoiding injuries.
Exercise puts your body through a number of stresses where muscles, tendons and ligaments can become damaged. Going through a thorough and proper warm down that contains dynamic stretching and gentle exercises will help the body to return to its pre-exercise level.
Focus in particular on dynamic stretching out the muscles you’ve targeted during your session. This will help your body to recover and repair after your workout and it will prevent sore muscles!
5. Visit a Physiotherapist Regularly
As well as following these tips yourself, you may like to incorporate professional physiotherapy into your wellness program.
A qualified physiotherapist can provide you with expert advice and guidance on how to best care for your body during your winter training sessions.
Remedial massage and physio exercises will help your body repair and maintain its range of movement and function, as well as providing you with the benefits of relaxation and detoxification.
High Quality Physiotherapy Services in Auckland
To book an appointment with a qualified physio in East Tamaki or find out more about how physiotherapy can help with your training, call the PhysioReform team on +64 9 273 6089 or simply register online.