Returning to sport is often synonymous with injuries such as tendinitis or aches. It is possible to prepare well for this recovery so as not to injure yourself.
Warming up is essential to avoid injury. It must be progressive, adapted and last at least ten minutes.
It prepares the body for cardiovascular, pulmonary and muscular demands.
You can stretch as long as they are not painful.
Muscle massage using a warming cream activates blood circulation and provides thermal comfort in cold weather. It does not replace warming up and is most often contraindicated before the age of 15.
Massage oils based on arnica or vegetable oil with camphorated rosemary essential oil, for example, traditionally used against cramps, can also be used.
In the context of leisure activity lasting 3 to 4 hours per week, caloric intake does not need to be increased.
A balanced diet of fruits and vegetables, cereals and legumes covers the needs of vitamins, minerals and trace elements that the body needs for regular sports practice.
For a sports practice beyond 4 hours per week, with sustained activities, carbohydrate intake should be slightly increased, with a distribution of the intake over 4 to 5 meals or snacks.
An interval of 3 hours must be respected between the end of a meal and the start of sports activity, and 2 hours for a snack.
A restful sleep is part of a good physical preparation, it is during the night that the growth hormone, essential for recovery, is produced:
In case of difficulty falling asleep, certain essential oils can help create an environment conducive to sleep. Homeopathy can also be useful with single strains (coffea cruda), or strains in combination. Different plants are traditionally known to facilitate falling asleep such as eschscholtzia, valerian...
A lack of water intake is the cause of a decrease in performance and an increase in the risk of tendonitis. These losses vary according to the intensity of the physical exercise and the external conditions. Losing 1% of your weight in water corresponds to a loss of 10% of your physical capacities.
When you feel thirsty, it is already too late, you must start drinking from the start of the activity at the rate of 150 to 250 ml every 20 minutes or so. If the effort lasts less than an hour, water is enough, otherwise you must hydrate with sodium-enriched solutions.
Recovery is part of any sports practice, especially if you start from scratch. It prevents fatigue from setting in, and adapts to the intensity of the workout.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recalls the benefits of sports activity for health in its recommendations, for 3 age groups.
Children and adolescents should accumulate at least 60 minutes a day moderate to vigorous intensity physical activity. Any extra minutes will be a benefit to their health.
On a daily basis, it is an endurance sport that should be preferred, other sustained intensity activities should be added at least 3 times a week, as they strengthen the muscle and bone system.
The minimum physical activity per week recommended to improve cardio-respiratory endurance, muscle and bone fitness is:
Or
And
Any extra physical activity is a health benefit!
These are the same recommendations as for the previous age group. flexibility and balance exercises must be practiced in addition at least 3 times a week to prevent the risk of falls.
Elderly people whose state of health does not allow them to apply these recommendations are still invited to practice physical activity, as long as their state allows them.
The activities and their intensities are described here.
Suffering from a chronic disease does not necessarily contraindicate the practice of physical activity. If it is adapted, it brings many benefits on the physical and psychological levels. Depending on the pathology, certain activities are not recommended and others to be preferred, for example for diabetes, solitary or extreme sports should be avoided, all situations where hypoglycemia would be dangerous.
Whatever the sport practiced, it must be chosen in consultation with your attending physician and a prior medical check-up is essential.
It is advisable to return to sport with gentle activities (walking, cycling, swimming, etc.), in order to spare the perineum which may have been weakened by childbirth. Resuming an intensive sport (skipping rope, running) too quickly could lead to complications such as urinary leakage for example.
After pregnancy, it is best to return to sport through perineal rehabilitation at least for the first few weeks. Resuming physical activity at a later date will be all the more secure.
For a natural delivery , this recovery takes place on average in 1 to 2 months , for a birth by caesarean section , it takes 3 to 4 months .
The benefits of sport after childbirth do not only concern the return to an ideal weight. Physical activity also appears to reduce the risk of postpartum depression.
