Physical activity is essential for the well-being of any person: moving increases life expectancy and quality of life, regulates blood pressure, increases bone density, reduces the risk of cancer, helps sleep and improves mental health, among other benefits. . Performing physical exercise, understood as a planned, structured and repetitive activity to maintain physical fitness, is recommended to ensure good health and prevent diseases, but also to improve the evolution of people with diabetes or cardiovascular or oncological diseases, for example. example.
Doctor Antonio Turmo, specialist in Physical Education and Sports Medicine at Hospital Clínic Barcelona, adds another benefit: “Physical exercise is a very powerful tool both in therapy and, especially, in the prevention of sports injuries.” Therefore, experts propose a series of recommendations. You should start with healthy habits, including good hydration and a diet rich in carbohydrates, proteins, minerals and vitamins.
In many cases, more time is dedicated to warming up than to sporting activity.
Dr. Pere Palmada, sports physiotherapist at Hospital Clínic Barcelona, assures that a good warm-up, specific to each sport, is essential: “In many cases, more time is dedicated to warming up than to sporting activity.” When finished, muscle tone should also be controlled with stretching. In addition, short, medium and long-term objectives must be set. The ideal is to have the supervision of a professional. In any case, it is essential to stretch both before and after physical exercise.
These stretches will have to be passive or static, if what is needed is the elasticity of the tissues, or dynamic, if an action such as running is going to be carried out. When finished, passive stretching will help control the muscle tone and metabolism that occurred during the activity. Some people believe that warming up is a procedure. However, Dr. Palmada remembers that the body will be active, but not “activated.” “An active position during the day does not mean being able to run eight or ten kilometers without warming up,” he says.
If, despite following these tips, you suffer an injury, the recovery period is key to avoid having consequences. After recovery, the activity can be resumed from the beginning, controlling its intensity. You have to progress until you reach the level before the problem. Dr. Turmo sums it up: “Progression is the basis, and I will know that I am at 100% when I can do two, three or four intense workouts without any problem.”
To do this, it is vital to go to the doctor from the beginning. Often, the injured person attempts to recover on their own, which lengthens the process. On the contrary, if a specialist is consulted, recovery will be scheduled and more effective. The most serious and difficult to cure injuries are usually in the joints—the knee, the hip—or the tendons. Typically, torn cruciate ligaments are the most expensive to recover from.
Cold is already an anti-inflammatory therapy. The use of additional anti-inflammatories or analgesics will depend on the severity of the process.
A common question is whether to apply heat or cold to the affected area. Cold therapy, called cryotherapy, is appropriate when inflammation is present. It can also be useful for recovery after sports activity. On the other hand, heat is more suitable to increase the mechanosensitivity of tissues or in chronic processes, such as low back pain or cervical pain. Specific exercises always help. If these therapies are not enough, Dr. Turmo recommends medication, and adds: “The cold is already a therapy in itself. The prescription of anti-inflammatories or analgesics will depend on the severity of the process.”
For someone who wants to get started in sports, the main objective should not be to perform at your best, but rather to avoid injuries. The warning signs must be taken into account. When a problem is detected, the training must be changed. According to experts, the most important thing is progression, which is achieved with good programming of muscle strength exercises and stretches. At older ages, it is advisable to undergo a stress test to find out where the person is and determine what pace they should progress.
Tips for good hydration
In an intense exercise session, you can lose two and a half liters of sweat. For this reason, experts recommend:
1
Drink fluids before, during and after exercise. The ideal is to drink two liters within three hours after training.
2
Properly plan exercise sessions. Hot, humid or high altitude environments are what encourage sweating. further. Breathable clothing helps you not lose as much water.
3
Do not drink alcoholic beverages, diuretics or soft drinks. Water is the best drink. If the exercise is very intense, isotonic drinks are a good option.
4
Know how to identify and act in the event of possible dehydration. The feeling of thirst or dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, headache or muscle cramps are symptoms to pay attention to.
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