The last few weeks brought significant relief for us coaches, personal trainers and clients. The rules of the lockdown have been changed, and the weather is exceptionally nice, so we have the opportunity to train our clients in parks on a one to one basis. As I'm spending more time outside, I realised that a surprisingly massive number of individuals participating in some form of activity. It's very inspiring to see that people care about their physical and mental wellbeing and are willing to take action. I'm truly humbled by the number of active folks, but I observed some bad habits that can be easily fixed. Here are three things to keep in mind when training outdoors.
Train with a maximum of one other person
The pandemic isn't over yet and even tho we're allowed to meet with people from other households, we shouldn't participate in gatherings of more than two. Unfortunately, not everybody respects the rules, thus increasing the risk of a second peak.
Preparation is important
Regardless if you're going for a run or practising yoga, there are a few things you should take with you.
WATER: I see too many people out there, running and training with no hydration at hand. When participating in a physical activity that reaches a certain level of intensity, we start sweating, and we get hot. These are byproducts that occur during the energy production process, which is triggered by the demands of the working muscles. The harder the muscles work, the more energy they need and the more byproducts will be produced. With constant rehydration, we can replenish the water that has left the body in the form of sweat, this way avoiding the thickening of the blood, which can significantly reduce the performance of the muscles. Restoring normal water levels will decrease the chance of cramps and dizziness. Hydration also has a crucial role in metabolism, cooling the body and lubricating the joints.
PHONE: Some like to work out very early in the morning, some prefers a late evening jog, and some likes to be isolated and alone when exercising. These are just a few of those scenarios, where if something happens to you and nobody is around, you can be in real trouble without your mobile phone.
IDENTIFICATION: Smartphones have a feature which allows medical professionals to access your medical information while the phone is on lockscreen. If you don't know how to set up your smartphone's Medi ID, carrying an identity card can make your first responder's life a lot easier and may save your life.
PLASTER: Exercising outdoors has its own risks. The most common accidents are trips and fall, which often result in cuts and bruises. If that happens, you can wash the wound with some water and cover it with a plaster to minimise the risk of infections.
Do it right
WARM-UP: Probably the most neglected component of many workout routines. Jumping into your training session without adequately preparing the body is like revving your car's engine up to 7000 RPM in -10 degrees centigrade 2 seconds after you started it up. Receipt for disaster! To minimise the risk of injuries, we need to first raise the heart rate with some simple, low-intensity exercises like jumping jacks and side shuffles. Then we have to activate and mobilise with movements that use larger ROM and turn on the muscles before the real work begins. Squats, walking lunges and hip CARs are excellent to prep the lower body for activities like running, football and tennis. In the last phase of the warm-up, we work on potentiation. In a case of a runner that would mean a couple of short sprints before the actual run or a few repetitions of different pull-up variations for somebody who is going to work on the gymnastics rings.
WORKOUT: After completing a proper warm-up, the body is ready for the main event. However, going from 0-100 in a few seconds isn't a good idea. Gradually increasing the intensity or the load will create a nice build-up before reaching maximum effort. The build-up phase is technically a continuum of the warm-up, that fills the gap between the preparation phase and the major component of the workout with some specific and targeted exercises. This kind of transition maximises safety and improves performance.
COOLDOWN: Missing the cooldown after an intense workout can cause serious health complications. Here is why you should do it every single time after a workout. Our circulatory system is made out of the heart, arteries and veins. The heart and arteries contract and pump the oxygen-rich blood to the organs and working muscles, while the veins carry the carbon dioxide-rich blood back to the heart. However, the veins aren't able to contract like the arteries; therefore, they rely on the contraction of the surrounding skeletal muscles to transport the blood. Suddenly stopping (sitting down or laying on the floor) after exercising with an elevated heart rate for an extended time can cause blood pooling in the lower limbs and ultimately lead to a heart attack or stroke. This effect occurs when the heart is still beating fast and pumps out more blood than what is transported back by the veins due to the lack of skeletal muscle contraction. Instead of coming to a complete stop, walk around for a few more minutes after completing the workout, especially if you did a long run.
STRETCH: When exercising, we stimulate the body to adapt and get better, but that process also creates a lot of muscular tension. Without stretching, the muscles become stiff and short, that can lead to altered bone alignment and cause chronic pain. Lengthening the muscles regularly after each workout will condition the joints involved in the stretching action and prevent tightness. It's recommended to spend at least five minutes stretching the targeted muscles immediately after the training session and to improve flexibility, add a couple of extra stretching sessions throughout the week. Caution should be taken when working on flexibility as an aggressive approach is a frequent contributor to injuries.
SUMMARY
Being active outdoor is a lot of fun, and honestly, we should exercise more in nature. It's very refreshing and therapeutic at the same time. Training on recreation grounds, however, has its own challenges. Toilets, water fountains and first aid kits aren't necessarily available in every park. With a bit of proactivity, we can save a lot of headaches. Not having immediate access to a WC can be frustrating, but nearly not as much as an injury sustained during training. Following a protocol, whereby the body is adequately prepared, worked hard and gradually brought back to pre-exercise state is the way to avoid injuries and achieve the best results.
If you’re interested in a bespoke training programme or should you require any advice regarding workouts, feel free to get in touch directly with Szilard!
Written by Szilard Jakab
08.06.2020
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