How to Implement Change in Exercise
Suddenly, everyone is a marathon runner and Triathlete…
As we enter into week 5 of our COVID-19 social distancing, with all the gyms and studios being closed, everyone has taken to running and biking outside, and all the Instagram fitness accounts are projecting so many ideas for how to replicate a weight routine out of milk jugs and cans of soup. But it's not quite so easy for the body to make these sudden changes, and it might not be as healthy as one might think.
Currently, many people are telling me about new aches and pains as they have been making these changes to their workouts. There are old injuries starting to flare up, with new sensations nagging in areas that aren't usually injured. All of these people have recently changed their workout routines due to the current situation. For everyone who normally does a spin class, they have to bike outside; Anyone who does a circuit class, they have to do create weights from household objects inside; For those who usually use the gym's treadmills, they have to jog outside.
The normal workouts that their bodies have conditioned for are now on different terrain, maybe at different times of day, and in varied elements. Consider how running outside changes how the ankle stabilizers and arches of the foot work to support the body landing on concrete or asphalt rather than on a flat treadmill. The difference in how the foot lands impact the ankle which then affects the knee and hip, and possibly farther up the kinetic chain, impacting pelvic control and then the SI joint. If the individual has any old injuries or chronic pain in any of those levels of the chain, they will likely have a mild injury recurrence. The body takes time to adapt, and in response to a sudden change, the personal "weak links" that tend to flare up when put under greater stress, may be triggered.
Even as pain is triggered, these clients should still maintain consistency in their workouts since lack of moving has its own slew of negative side effects. When flare-ups occur, instead of completely stopping training, it can be wise to gently adjust. By reducing impact for a few days this allows the trigger to reset, giving the body a short break to adapt to change. Normally, when incorporating a new type of movement, it's best to slowly implement the change to give the body that time to adapt properly.
In order to continue training while mitigating pain, there are various elements to consider. These include:
Footwear-Checking that it is properly fitted and not worn out
Terrain-Picking gentler terrain which may include grass or dirt instead of asphalt or flat road instead of strenuous inclines
Varying the days-Taking a couple of days in between the same type of workout with gentler workouts or active recovery days, or doing only one day of higher intensity instead of multiple
Recovery-Ice the affected areas, Epsom salt soaks, foam roll, stretch, breath work
Trigger points-self massage using a lacrosse ball, foam roller, Theracane, Hypervolt/Theragun or another electric massage tool, or even just our own hands to release the sore spots
There are common Trigger Points for common pain and injuries that when released can reduce significant pain from chronic and overuse injuries. If you find yourself changing your workout and having pain, please contact me for specified trigger point release techniques that you can do at home on your own.
Normally, I am a big advocate in finding whatever type of movement works for your body and sticking to it while making minor changes in order to mix it up to continue to challenge the body. Personally, I do a similar workout on Mondays and Thursdays that include a run and arm weights, Tuesdays and Fridays are similar with a Pilates session, Wednesdays I generally bike outside or spin and do some leg exercises afterward, and Saturdays and Sundays I mix up a bike ride and another type of class of either boxing circuits, yoga, Pilates, or Barre. Generally, I stick to my weekly plan, and I might add in extra reps, change a variation of an exercise, vary the intervals of speed, or reduce the weight depending on how I feel that day. Depending on what works for an individual, the type of workout, the duration, and the number of days each week are specific to that person.
There are some variables to play with in order to make changes to keep exercises interesting without completely changing the type of workout. These include speed, duration, number of repetitions, and angle of movement. In this way, we can stick to the type of movement that we like, while still challenging the body, and mixing it up to reduce boredom or a plateau but reducing the impact of painful stimuli.
For generalized training, I believe in a moderate intensity for workouts, at 60-80% of our maximum effort, and maintaining this consistently multiple times each week. I don't agree with once a week workouts at 100% effort. However, I also don't believe in a slow trudge along on an electric treadmill while watching tv. Sometimes I think it's good to try something new, and I always think it's good to listen to experts for advice on physical training, while at the same time, the experts should be listening to their client's body to guide the best-personalized movement quality for that individual. If someone is training for a specific sport or event, they need to do specialized sport-specific training, creating a routine and sticking to it, in order to be properly trained.
How to Workout:
Moderate Intensity
Consistent Training
Sport-Specific Training
Make a routine and stick to it
Slowly implement changes
Give the body time to adapt
What to Change in a Workout:
Duration
Speed
Intensity
Angle of movement
Number of repetitions
Weight load
Type of movement
Frequency
Overall, it's best to create a plan that works for you and stick to it, but when circumstances mandate change, take the time to slowly adapt. No one became a marathon runner overnight.
