Spring! Along with the arrival of wonderful sunny warmth, colorful flowers, singing birds and chirping peepers, comes the return of the "active" in our lives! We all are encouraged by this gorgeous weather to get outside or start exercising, whether its gardening, running, canoeing, biking or just hitting the gym more often. However, for many of us, our bodies are unused to the activity and not really ready to just jump right in! Our bodies may respond with loud complaints of pain, stiffness and sometimes even injury.
For any activity you start, after a long winters rest, it is best to start off slowly! We can be so eager to get out and bike 10 miles. If you haven't been on a bike all winter, try a smaller ride for the first time. Take care of your body! Pay attention to the messages your body sends. If you feel a kink or a twinge somewhere, stop what you're doing and stretch or adjust what you're doing until you no longer feel it. Take frequent breaks. Drink plenty of water. If you find yourself bent over the handle bars of a bike, be sure to stop periodically and stretch your arms, legs, neck and back. Our muscles have a way of 'locking' into place when we hold a particular position for long stretches of time. This will reset your muscles giving them a rest.
If you want to begin an exercise program, but find you have a tendency to injure yourself through overuse or incorrect positioning, contact a personal trainer for a few sessions. They will help you to stay on track without injury.
If you are a gardener, digging and raking can quickly produce aches in your body. Because of the nature of the repetitive movements, stress to the overworked muscles can occur quickly, with injury not far behind. When raking, especially, we tend to do it one-sided. This sets up an imbalance. See if you can switch sides. Rake for 10 strokes on one side, then 10 on the other, them switch again. Don't forget to pause and listen for birds and smell the warm breeze! Gardening involves so many different activities, I could write a whole post on that alone! I guess again, the main thing is to go slowly and listen to your body.
And don't forget! massage can be incredibly helpful to nurture those tired sore muscles as they adjust to the "active season."
