Whether you are returning after injury or a prolonged hiatus, it is important to build up your strength and fitness before you launch into playing sports.
When we do sport, particularly as we get a bit older, it’s very common to launch back into something that you were good at maybe when you were a teenager, and expect to take up where you left off. The weekend warrior is the classic.
It’s very, very common, particularly even once you hit into your 30s, but certainly your 40s and 50s, to end up with injuries almost immediately. So if you want to avoid that, the best way to do it is to very gradually build up to that activity.
You have to recognise that certain sports take certain groups of muscles that you might not have used in a long time. So prepare yourself. Don’t just leap into your first match unprepared. Go build yourself up over about six months. Workout what activities, what muscles you’re gonna be engaging for that sport. And really specifically work on those before you launch into your first match.
That way, hopefully you’ll be able to see out the end of the season.
Dr Jennifer Stevens is a Pain Specialist at St Vincent’s Hospital, Sydney and Pain Australia
