The start of the school year is approaching, and with it its share of (good) resolutions. This year you get back to sports, but above all you stick to it. Be careful not to try to resume too quickly, you could get discouraged more easily. How to find the rhythm, what good reflexes to have and what types of sport to start with? We help you choose.
What type of exercises should be favored for a recovery?
Ideally, in addition to the break with a sedentary lifestyle, a mix of endurance activities, muscle strengthening and stretching should be practiced.
- The muscle building activities (push-ups, squats, dumbbells, abs, stairs, etc.) require strength, power and endurance at the same time. We work in resistance, static (contractions without movement) or dynamic (succession of muscle contractions and relaxation phases).
- the endurance work (brisk walking, cycling, rowing, swimming) develops cardio-respiratory capacities. More voluminous, the heart has less need to contract to send an identical quantity of blood to the whole organism, it saves itself.
- Improve your flexibility – with stretching, Pilates or yoga – allows you to maintain good joint mobility and therefore prevent falls and loss of autonomy.
To combine these three types of exercises, Dr. Patrick Baquaert, specialist in physical medicine and rehabilitation, advises to “walk up one to two flights of stairs, faster and faster, then gradually climbing the stairs two by two”. And to work on proprioception, he recommends “walk in the undergrowth, on uneven ground, if necessary with the help of walking sticks at the start, or in town with slopes, obstacles to avoid, stairs, barefoot in the soft sand…”
How to choose your type of sport?
If you are fit and healthy, running remains one of the easiest sports to practice. You can run anytime and anywhere, without needing any special equipment, except a good pair of sneakers.
However, if you experience pain in the joints or your knees are often subjected to great effort, prefer the bike Where swimming. If you suffer from vascular or cardiac problems, do not hesitate to consult your doctor before resuming sport.
How to find the right rhythm?
What happens when you return to sport? Your bones, tendons and ligaments must adapt to your new sporting activity. Your body must also learn to produce more energy to “feed” your muscles. This requires gradual adaptation. At the beginning, it is therefore necessary to favor slow sessions, at a slow pace.
To start, practice up to three times a week, depending on your level. The important thing is that your body is not overstretched and benefits from sufficient recovery phases.
What lifestyle to adopt?
Resuming sport also involves your diet. To remember : never skip meals, you must eat in the morning, at noon and in the evening. You can also have a compote, a fruit or a cereal bar at snack time.
You can train in the morning, noon or evening. Adapt the sessions to your lifestyle. The resumption of sport must remain a pleasure and not a constraint.
What are the good reflexes to have?
Remember to always warm up before sport, to moisturize regularly with small sips during exercise and to stretch at the end. In the event of intense physical activity, space your sports sessions 24 to 48 hours apart, to allow your body to recover and remember that a balanced diet and sufficient hydration also help you regain strength after exercise. ‘effort. Never go over your limits and have a mobile phone with you to call for help if needed.
