5 things to consider when returning to exercise after lockdown

Dr Breanne Kunstler (BBiomedSci, BHealthSci, MPhysio, PhD). 

Physiotherapist, behaviour change scientist and run coach.

I live in Melbourne, Australia. We have recently emerged from a pretty tough period of lockdown enforced by the government to contain the spread of COVID-19. 

As of December 15, 2020, we have had over one month of no new infections and no new deaths. This good news is seeing restrictions ease and people starting to get out more. A lot of people are wanting to get back into their old exercise regime. However, as they dig their running shoes out from the back of the cupboard, many think "Am I ready for this?"

Here are my top 5 things you should consider before lacing up those running shoes and jumping back into your old exercise regime.

1. How much running did I do during lockdown?

Did you maintain a basic level of fitness during lockdown or did you become one with the couch? Those who maintained some level of fitness, be it simply walking around the block or participating in online exercise classes, will still have a basic level of fitness that sets them up for some level of running. Those who have done absolutely nothing will likely have lost a lot of their fitness (maybe not all!) depending on the length of their lockdown period. 

You should start slow and gradually increase your running. This might mean that you start with a distance much shorter than you ran before lockdown (e.g. a half marathoner might start with a 3km), potentially mixing in some walking in a "walk-run-walk-run" type pattern. This sounds extremely conservative but it's important to give your body the chance to remember what running feels like before attempting a personal best effort.

2. What's my strength like?

Your body experiences large forces with every running step. These forces go through your bones and muscles, which then need to absorb and distribute these forces. Bones and muscles quickly adapt to absorbing the forces you place on them but they need the time/training to do so, otherwise they will break (just like anything else that can't handle the force it's put under). 

Building up your strength with a simple resistance program can support your bones and muscles to get stronger as you start building up your mileage and/or speed. This is especially important if you are hitting the concrete paths (ouch!).

3. How old are my shoes?

There are so many things to consider when choosing the right shoes to run in. Six months in nothing but slippers might result in weaker muscles in your feet and a different foot "posture", suggesting that your foot might move and absorb force differently now compared to before lockdown. Jumping straight into your old shoes and running might be uncomfortable and increase your risk of injuries like shin splints or plantar fasciitis. 

Use your slow re-introduction to running as an opportunity to get a proper treadmill-based running shoe assessment at your local running shoe provider. You might learn that you were running in the wrong shoes all along! And what runner doesn't like an excuse to get a brand new pair of fancy shoes?

4. What do I want to achieve?

Do you have an event coming up that you want to participate in? Do you just want to get outside and run because you can? Do you want to reduce your stress levels? What about losing some of those couch-induced lockdown kilos? 

Whatever your reason for getting back into running, you should set some goals to give you something to focus on and achieve to help you to build and maintain your motivation over time. Setting some short and long term goals will also give you a focus for your running program.

5. What's my plan and who do I have on my team?

Make sure you get the OK from your doctor before getting back into running, especially if it has been a while since you have exercised and if you have any medical conditions.

Get a run coach who can write a simple program with you (yes, with you, not for you). Take ownership over your program so you know that it suits you, has enough variety to excite you and focuses on your goals so it also motivates you to keep going when things get tough. 

Consider checking in with a physio to make sure you are strong enough to run and avoid injury (remember the resistance exercise I mentioned earlier?). A physio can also make sure that your training program is safe, which is especially important if you have any medical conditions (e.g. arthritis) or have been injured in the past (e.g. shin splints). 

Planning to change your diet as well? Be sure to talk with an accredited dietician to get some sound advice on what you should be eating to achieve your goals. 

Use social media groups to surround yourself with other people undergoing a similar journey to you. They will cheer you on and keep you going towards achieving your goals. Just don't use it for medical advice. Save all your medical questions to ask the professionals!

 

Reference: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7593778/