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BOOM → Bust.

Do you ALWAYS seem to be nursing an injury?

Or maybe your body feels amazing so with a sudden BOOM of energy you skip ahead a few kms trying to make up for lost time… but suddenly you bust in a heap and now feel like you’re back to square one?

This process of building up too quickly (boom) and then having a set back (bust) is known as the Boom-Bust cycle. Although on some occasions pushing through a degree of pain or discomfort might be ok’d by your Physio, in most instances the ‘no pain, no gain’ mentality can cause painful flare ups, delayed recovery and forced inactivity/rest.

Whether in a competitive environment or social setting, the setbacks caused by recurring injury can be extremely frustrating (not to mention physically painful)!

Trying to shake a niggling injury can interrupt your regular training program and can be mentally draining particularly if you have a specific goal you’re chasing or an event in sight. It takes patience and most definitely persistence. Acknowledging pain is important - in most cases avoidance doesn’t work. The solution to the boom - bust cycle is PACING. This means finding that sweet spot where you can continue doing the things you love (plus make improvements/progress along the way), without niggly interruptions delaying your progress and recovery. For most people (especially once we hit our mid 20s) there are a few bits and bobs (we’re talking stretch, strength and planning) that need to be considered in order to keep up those weekly runs, swims, trail sessions or Oztag games.

See our top tips below:

  1. SET GOALS.

What are you working towards? What target motivates you to tick all the training boxes? There is no goal too big or small - if it’s important to you, it’s important to us. Having something to work towards helps motivate you to complete all the steps needed to get there, rather than just skipping along in no-man's land. A clear goal also helps us break down the stages and targets we need to achieve to get you there.

2. PACE YOURSELF.

You must build up slowly and gradually at a rate your body can cope with, along with incorporating rest into the equation. Physios are experts in ‘load management’ and will work with you while considering your goals to find that perfect training schedule in which you can progress without overloading. Load management looks different for all bodies. This might include a combination of hands on treatment to settle acute symptoms in the short term along with an exercise program that is tailored to you to target your weaknesses and work towards injury prevention and uninterrupted training in the future.

​ 3. THESE THINGS TAKE TIME

Flare ups of old niggles can happen and we understand this can be very frustrating and feel like a bit of the ol’ two steps forward one step back scenario. It is important to remember however that a flare up does not mean game over and ideally with good planning (and pacing!) you will build resilience and bounce back from these hurdles faster and faster each set back. Backwards, sideways and forward steps are all part of the journey. Celebrate the little wins and work towards a long-term goal.

Most injuries occur when our bodies do not have the capacity to deal with the demand placed in front of us. We need to work on improving the body’s capacity before increasing the demand. This my friend is the secret to success….graduated boom and NO bust!

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