By Stacey Kipouridis

As we get settled into our training routines after a year of so many false starts, it is important to listen to your body.

It is normal to feel Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) as we begin activating and moving our bodies again after a break from activity.  DOMS can last for 2-4 days following the onset of activity. During this time, keep checking in with your body and how you feel, and know that it is not only okay, but actually recommended to have rest and recovery time! 

If symptoms of pain persist, and you feel little ‘niggles’, this may be your body’s way of warning you that something else may be going on. Niggles usually do not prevent you from completing your training or activity.  Whalan et al 2019, found that football players who reported a ‘niggle’ were shown to have a 3-6.5x greater chance of sustaining a time loss injury within 7 days.  This means that a ‘niggle’ or non-time loss injury is often a predictor of an injury occurring in the future. 

When you experience a niggle, it is important to let your teacher, coach know early. That way they can work with you to modify activities in a proactive injury prevention scheme. It is also recommended that you see your health professional for advice and management moving forward with your training. 

Rest is not the enemy of work!

In fact, quite the opposite is true. Appropriate rest/recovery time is not only a hugely important aspect of any physical or mental training, it could also be sad that rest is actually part of the work itself!

A study by Ristolainen et al 2013, showed that athletes who have less than two rest days per week, had a 520% heightened risk for injury. While you may want to push yourself to get back into training, know that rest and recovery are important parts of the journey to reaching your overall goal.

If you need advice, support, guidance or treatmen with returning to training or sport, come into the clinic and have an assessment with one of our physiotherapists.  We are here to work with you to work on your technique, strength, and develop a ‘prehab’ program for you to assist in injury prevention and keeping your body safe and strong.