Autumn often requires us to make changes in our lifestyle or routine due to weather, school activities, and upcoming holidays. During this transition from summer activities to fall/winter activities overuse injuries are very common. Help reduce the risk of common injuries by creating habits to help you and your children stay healthy and safe. Overtraining is a concern for all people pursuing fitness – from recreational or elite athletes to people who exercise to lose weight and stay in shape. Overtraining injuries are musculoskeletal injuries that occur due to more activity or exercise than your body is used to.
Signs and Symptoms of Overtraining
Increased resting Heart rate
Heavy, sore, stiff muscles
Sleep disturbance
Fatigue
Hypertension
Loss of motivation
How can physical therapy help ?
Physical therapists are movement experts, and work with people of all ages and levels of activity. During a visit, a physical therapist can:
Check your flexibility, strength, and endurance of muscles to support your desired level of activity.
Ensure that symptoms are due to overuse or overtraining and not something more serious.
Identify training errors to ensure a safe fitness plan, no matter your previous level of activity.
Correct biomechanical problems in form with your chosen activity to avoid overuse of a susceptible body part.
Provide appropriate training plan to minimize risk of injury and help you safely meet your fitness goals.
* Speak with a physical therapist to help you develop a safe exercise and plan and avoid over-training injuries.
Sources: American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (http://bit.ly/1KzO6W/) Moveforwardpt.com (http://bit.ly/1F3566x)