Springtime is the perfect season to take your activity journey outside. If you are looking for ways to have an active and healthy spring, consider the following tips.
Get Warm!
As soon as the weather gets nice, it can be tempting to head out for a long walk a run or hop on a bike... But it is essential not to jump back into your activities and go from zero to 100 percent. A proper warm-up is critical to reducing your risk of injury. The goal of a warm up is to increase heart rate and blood flow. This enables more oxygen to reach the muscles and ready them for activity.
You may think that a warm up consists of static or still-standing stretching... But it does not! Instead a warm up should consist of light aerobic activity and some dynamic stretching movements appropriate for the activity you’re about to perform.
This could include:
fast-paced walking
walking up and down stairs
fast-paced side stepping
light jogging on the spot
jumping jacks
arm swings
lunges
squats
Increase Your Heart Rate
As per the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) the goal is for Canadians to accumulate 150 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity each week. The guidelines also advise muscle strengthening activities using major muscle groups at least twice a week.
Following the guidelines can achieve a multitude of health benefits including a lower risk of death, cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, weight gain, several cancers, and improved bone health. Specific to mental health, participating in optimal levels of movement behaviours is linked to improved anxiety, depression, dementia, cognition, and quality of life.
Ideas for Movement
Some great ways to get in your weekly movement in the spring are:
Bike riding. And if you need more motivation the month of May is National Bike Month!
Gardening. Not only is having your own garden a fun springtime activity, it can also be a great way to encourage your body to perform a variety of different movement patterns like squatting, lunging and forward bending.
Spring cleaning. Yes with the spring season this household chore may creep on to the to do list. But with upbeat music, even cleaning can be fun!
Walking. While often we think of walking as part of regimented program, walking to nearby destinations such as the grocery store or the post office not only will you save on gas, it is excellent exercise! Plus, you’ll have the chance to see the trees and flowers begin to bloom.
Play. Yes, even adults can play. It is not just for kids! Go to the park, fly a kite, break out the badminton set, chase the kids, shoot some hoops. It all counts!
But... Stay Safe
While you do want to increase activity levels, you want to be careful not to overload your body at the start of spring. This applies no matter how enticing the weather may be!
Most injuries occur at the beginning of a season because our bodies are not used to the amount of exercise we are putting it through. So how can this be reduced?
Graduate your intensity.
For example, if you enjoy walking, you can easily increase your time or incline or pace as variables over time. If you enjoy strength training, variables such as amount of weight moved, number of repetitions performed, and number of sets of the exercises performed are easily manipulated and can gradually add intensity.
Make a plan.
While making a plan can be a great way to monitor progress, keeping tabs on your movement also helps keep you consistent and can be a great resource for managing the volume and intensity of the movement engagement over time.
No matter the season, our trained physiotherapists have the skills and knowledge to help keep you both active and safe. Schedule an appointment with one of our physiotherapists today by calling our office 1-204-325-8555 or emailing admin.winkler@pvphysio.com