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What risks are involved in working out at home?

May 18, 2020

Although we are gradually being given the opportunity to exercise together, for the time-being gyms continue to feel the impact of the corona crisis. Whereas hairdressers have been allowed to open since Monday 11 May, gyms will probably have to keep their doors closed for the time-being. The fact that gyms have to remain closed for some time challenges the patience and resourcefulness of people who wish to exercise at home. In an earlier post, we discussed the simplest exercises that can be done at home, in order to remain fit and healthy.

Continue doing those exercises, but be on your guard against the possible risks of exercising at home. Protect yourself, avoid injuries. A brace may then be of help. It can offer you that bit of support and assurance that you need to exercise in a relaxed manner and to reduce the risk of physical discomfort. Yes, there are risks, but fortunately many benefits can also be attributed to exercising at home.
Discipline
It will save you a lot of time. After all, you don’t have to use your bike or car to go to the gym. You can change your clothes, do a workout and then step into your own shower: it’s definitely efficient. More discipline is, however, required to continue to do your exercises week in, week out, all the more because there is nobody monitoring you.  No gym buddy or instructor and the social aspect is completely absent. Exercising alone isn’t as enjoyable.  Because you are exercising alone, you don’t get any feedback on the exercises you are doing. You should bear this in mind, especially with a view to preventing injuries. After all, there is no instructor watching you.  In this situation too, wearing a brace can contribute to your sporting enjoyment. It can give you that little push to remain active in a carefree way.

Ankle brace
When exercising at home, can you also take your own precautionary measures? And instead of taping your ankle yourself, can you wear an ankle brace? You can, but Frank Backx, professor in sports medicine at the University Medical Centre Utrecht (UMCU), compares the effect of an ankle brace to that of an ankle tape in an earlier scientific study. And one of the conclusions, that we also discussed on this website, was that a brace is just as effective as tape. In terms of ease of use, the brace is better than tape.  The user is able to put the brace on easily without the assistance of a healthcare provider, and a brace is more sustainable than tape. A brace also helps someone to move correctly. You still have to work on building up the condition of your muscles, by staying active. It is actually a misconception that the use of ankle braces leads to weakening of the muscles in the ankle.

Incentive
Therefore, it is crucial to remain active in a sensible manner, by listening to your body and not exceeding your limits. That is an important incentive for us. It goes without saying that you have fewer options at home than you would at the gym, but nevertheless make sure there is plenty of variation in the exercises you do. That will add to the fun and you can continue to push yourself and find the limits of your physical abilities. Because with Push Sports braces you are in control. Whatever the level you are performing at whilst at home.

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