Have you noticed that since lockdown ended you’re getting more aches and pains or injuries than before? Even if you’ve done basically nothing to cause soreness? You’re not alone.
It would make sense to pull up sore after starting up exercise again, right? We’ve all been a bit inactive for quite some time this year. So suddenly returning to the gym, sports, and gardening again is going to be a shock to the system. But what if that isn’t you? What if you haven’t started a new exercise regime and you’re still sore?
It’s not as silly as it seems! It all comes down to incidental activity. Incidental activity is any activity or movement built up in small amounts over the day. For example, walking to the train station.
You see, during lockdowns (and even work from home orders), we move significantly less compared to our usual activities lockdown free. That walk to the fridge and back to your home desk just isn’t the same as walking around the office and walking to and from the office. Even if you don’t have an office job, we haven’t been running the kids around to sports or school. And if you’re like me and have been doing your groceries online to avoid the shops, well there’s heaps of movement and incidental strength training lost there.
We have a pretty active job as osteos here at Boroondara Osteo, but without the extra activities like running to the shops (not literally I can assure you), or school pick ups and drop offs, we lose a heap of incidental activity too. Good luck hitting those 10,000 steps!
So now that we are slowly returning to a more social lifestyle, hitting the café and even back to the office, it’s like our bodies need to re-condition to incidental movement again. Even if it is as simple as going to the shops or catching transport to work. It’s kinda like starting at the gym, you’re going to be sore.
The good news is, you will condition quickly, it will be temporary, and if it lingers, we are always here for you!
