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Latest Exercise & Fitness News<\/h3>\n
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FRIDAY, July 24, 2020 (HealthDay News)<\/p>\n
If you love to play sports, it’s tough advice to follow after months of lockdown: Go easy.<\/p>\n
You may be tempted to jump right back into things as playing fields, courts, gyms and other athletic facilities reopen, but it’s best to take some time for conditioning first, the American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons (AAOS) says.<\/p>\n
“For many sports, it has been three months since the last practice. Cardiovascular conditioning, muscle strength and flexibility may have declined with [the] need to social distance,” said orthopedic surgeon and AAOS spokesperson Dr. Nicholas DiNubile.<\/p>\n
“Regardless of your activity, it is important to remember to ease into it and be patient with yourself,” he said in an AAOS news release. “If you give yourself time, the skills will come back.”<\/p>\n
People who weren’t active before the pandemic might want to view the reopening of facilities as an opportunity to improve their health and fitness<\/a> levels, or to take up a new sport or activity.<\/p>\n If you plan to restart or start an exercise<\/a> program, here are some guidelines:<\/p>\n “Enthusiasm to get outside is high, and the potential for overuse injuries, broken bones and strained muscles, bones or joints is now heightened,” DiNubile said.<\/p>\n “If we suddenly increase the intensity, duration or frequency of activity more than what our bodies had become accustomed to while social distancing, it can be a shock<\/a> to the body’s soft tissues and joints, causing inflammation and breakdown,” he explained. “To set yourself up for success, have a realistic view of your current condition and celebrate small victories along the way.”<\/p>\n To prevent the spread of the coronavirus, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention<\/a> urges everyone using a gym or fitness<\/a> center to limit indoor group activities, maintain 6 feet<\/a> of distance with others, take precautions and limit contact with shared equipment, wash hands and wear a face covering.<\/p>\n — Robert Preidt<\/p>\n\n
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