The festive season is over and it’s the beginning of a brand new year. For many people, top of their resolution list is to get in shape and become healthier overall after indulging perhaps a little bit too much over the holiday period. However, many of us find it hard to keep this New Year resolution and by the end of January our exercise regimes are put aside.

Easing Yourself Back Into Exercise

Whether you have done very little exercise before or have just taken a break, it is often hard to know exactly where to start when it comes to getting back to exercise. The most important thing to remember is to take it slowly.

The first step is to make a clear goal as to what you wish to achieve with your exercise program. Whether it is to lose weight, build muscle, improve your overall fitness level or advised by a physician it is important to have a set goal in mind from the outset. This could be as simple as drinking more water, walking 30 minutes a day or signing up to a 5km race.

Start your exercise program slowly and build up both the intensity and length of workout as the weeks go by. It is also important to alternate your activity daily in order to get the most out of your workout routine. For example, one day you can work on your cardio while the next can be allocated for weight lifting.

Classes such as spinning, kick boxing, hot yoga or rock climbing can be great for people who get easily bored by going to the gym and are all enjoyable ways to keep in shape.

Two of the most important things to make sure you do while getting back to exercise is: get enough sleep and eat the right foods. Sleeping and eating enough is essential for allowing both your muscles to repair themselves after your workouts and to ensure that your body is given the energy you need.

Pilates: A Great Gateway into Exercise

Doing a Pilates class is ideal for those who have never exercised before. These classes help to focus not only on muscle strength and toning but also on joint flexibility, postural alignment and balance. Many individuals also claim that the relaxed environment and breathing exercises involved in Pilates have relaxation and stress relief benefits. If you have previously tried running or going to the gym again but keep suffering from niggles or injuries, Pilates is often the best place to start. By improving core stability and overall body alignment, the load on joints e.g. shoulder, hips, knees is reduced.

As your muscles become stronger with Pilates it will also help your body to burn more calories. This is a very effective compliment especially if you are trying to lose weight in order to better your health.

Here at Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic, we offer a range of Pilates classes ranging for beginners to advanced. Our experienced physiotherapists will structure a Pilates programme plan just for you to suit your level of fitness and your needs.

Injury Prevention Tips You Need to Know

Many people have the tendency to over do it when exercising in the early stages and this often leads to them developing an injury. In order to ensure that you don’t fall into this category, you can take the following steps:

• Warm up before and after exercise: A proper warm up ensures that the muscles are receiving enough blood and nutrients needed for exercise. It will also increase your flexibility making it easier for your muscles to perform better.
• Hydrate: Not drinking enough water can hamper your performance. Working out while dehydrated could mean that you are putting your muscles at risk of strain or injury.
• Nutrition: By eating the right foods and the right sized portions before and after your fitness session means that your muscles will have enough energy to perform well and repair any muscle fibre damage.
• Rest: Most importantly, resting your muscles and listening to your body is imperative to avoiding injury. Over-training your muscles will put them at high risk of exhaustion and tears. It is advised to take at least one day off from training per week but this depends on the individual.

If you have any questions regarding exercise tips or Pilates classes, you can contact Ballsbridge Physiotherapy Clinic here.