Sunshine is coaxing us from our 2020 quarantine hiding places and out into nature, just as it should! Yet, while it feels good to be outside again in the Chattanooga area, warm weather fun can come with a price if we are not aware. After potentially months of missed workouts and plenty of days indoors, your muscles and joints may not be as ready for activity as you are. This doesn’t mean you have to settle onto your couch for the summer. Physical activity is an important part of keeping yourself well, both physically and mentally.

As you seize the opportunities to get out and more active, keep these tips in mind to help you avoid injury, recover from activity more quickly and, if you do get hurt, get the help you need here at Chattanooga Integrated Medicine Center. 

Warming-up Before Physical Activity

When the sun is shining, we tend to want to rush out the door and dive into the day. A slower and more thoughtful start can reduce future pain, especially when you have underused muscles, tendons and ligaments.The importance of stretching and warmups can be demonstrated through temperature effects seen on a simple item like a rubber band. If a rubber band has been placed in the freezer and then suddenly stretched, it may snap or become damaged and weakened.

In the same way we would slowly warm that frozen rubber band, our body will adjust to sudden activity better with some warming up. Think in terms of revving up your body and your heart by starting with an easy walk before a strenuous hike or a slow swim before racing across the pool.

Gentle stretching can be an important way to prepare your body for physical exertion. But also beware: extreme stretching before exercise is like pulling hard on that rubber band while it’s still cold and that can cause sudden issues with muscles, ligaments and tendons. 

Mild Soreness is Normal

Even with a good warmup, a body not used to regular activity may become sore the next day or two, which is ok- it means you’ve increased your activity has caused mild muscle strain or microscopic fissures to the muscle fibers indicating that your muscles are simply adapting to your fitness regimen. So here are some at home therapies we would recommend for mild soreness: try the R.I.C.E. method. R.I.C.E. (rest, ice, compression and elevation) is a collection of home treatments that help sore muscles and mild strains feel better and heal more quickly. R.I.C.E. is most beneficial in the first 24 to 48 hours after a workout. Rest after activities, then try using some ice on those sore muscles and joints, perhaps some compression like with an ACE bandage, and finally, keep sore areas elevated when possible. Using this home remedy for mild soreness will often due the trick to getting you back up and out there in a day or so.

Lingering Pain, However, Should be Addressed

If your exercise induced soreness becomes more serious pain that seems more extreme, talk with our team and with Dr. Hall.  Chattanooga Integrated Medicine Center is ready to assess, diagnose and treat injuries like strains, sprains and other structural injuries with a number of services including laser therapies, our non-surgical knee program and even regenerative medicine should the injury be severe.

Don’t suffer through pain or hold off on getting help if you do overdue it while starting a workout or new exercise routine.  We don’t want you to go without a good treatment plan in place that prevents further damage and keeps you off of prescription pain medications. If the injury has caused a negative effect on your activities of daily living, definitely come in for an evaluation.

Some injuries are difficult to evaluate without an X-ray or other forms of medical evaluation. Dr. Hall will go over your medical history — including past injuries — as well as your symptoms to diagnose your injury and set you up for a personalized treatment plan to aid your recovery.

Call us today at 423-499-0003 or go online to start your appointment process.

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