Pain therapy relief experts study into lockdown trends
The pain therapy relief experts at www. Biofreeze.co.uk undertook a study where almost 2,400 UK adults were quizzed about their ongoing fitness habits throughout the latest lockdown.
Initially, all respondents were asked if they had worked out regularly throughout the months of January and February. The results showed that just 33 per cent worked out regularly throughout January, with this number increasing by almost double for the month of February (64 per cent).
When asked why they were more inclined to workout throughout February, respondents admitted that they upped their exercise levels as a way of boosting their mental health (48 per cent). Of those, 54 per cent did their workouts exclusively inside/at home as the weather was not ideal for getting outdoors or leaving the confines of their own garden.
Just 17 per cent admitted that they were working out for vanity reasons, such as to lose weight, highlighting the importance of exercise for mental health as opposed to a vanity tool.
What’s more, of those who cited they have children, 47 per cent admitted they have been getting outdoors as a family for physical activity, with the aim of helping to tire out their children, while a slightly higher proportion than those who stated they got outdoors as a family to encourage their children to lead active lifestyles (41 per cent).
Of those who have not worked out regularly throughout January or February, one in four (26 per cent) stated that they are currently recovering from an injury, and instead are focusing on rest and rehab to ensure a swift and successful recovery.
The team at Biofreeze have offered up the below tips for anyone looking to start exercising over the coming weeks, particularly as the weather continues to improve, with the aim of preventing the risk of injury (especially for those who haven’t been particularly active of late).
1 Allow plenty of time for warming up. This allows you to get the blood flowing and warm up your muscles ahead of more strenuous activities.
2 Start with low-intensity options. You may have been able to run a half marathon or lift 120kg before lockdown, but if you’ve taken a break for a few weeks or months, it’s worth starting small and working your way back up.
3 Learn the form. There is a good form for most exercises you can enjoy, so make sure to take the time to learn what is good form and bad form, thus preventing serious injury.
4 Listen to your body! Slow and steady wins the race. You obviously want to be improving, but doing so gradually will be far more effective than trying to conquer the mountain on your first attempt.
5 Cool down. Just as
important as warming up, cooling down at the end of a workout will help to gradually return your heart rate and blood pressure back to normal levels as well as slowing down the end of the workout to prevent post-exercise injury.
Cold therapy products can be applied before activities such as exercising, training and stretching to alleviate muscle soreness, as well as after your cool down to help minimise the postworkout aches.
A spokesman for www. Biofreeze.co.uk said: “We’ve had our first weekend of glorious weather this year and that’s definitely going to lift people’s spirits and motivation levels.
“There’s no better time to get outdoors than when the sun is shining; it definitely beats a run or cycle in the rain and mud.” Visit https:// hotvscold.co.uk site.