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Butcher's Dog! Regular
outdoor fitness tips from the canine on creatine. Cold wet
nose and glossy coat guaranteed.
Getting Back After
Illness!
So, you've been as sick as a dog, but now
you're over the worst of it, you're desperate to get out
there in the hills or even just for a training session down
the gym, but how long do you need to wait and what's been
going on with your body?
Don't Get Depressed
First, don't get into the mindset that a
week in bed's put you back to square one. Even two weeks of
near inactivity isn't going to cause too much damage to your
overall fitness, in fact, in some cases, the rest may do you
good. The rate you lose fitness isn't fixed, or the same for
everyone, but short periods of inactivity won't decimate
you, even though it might feel that way...
Muscles
One thing that will suffer a little is
muscle strength, particularly if you've been stuck in bed.
Leg muscles in particular, can weaken quite rapidly, so
don't expect to be able to walk as far, as hard and carrying
as much as before you were ill. Keep your first few outings
shorter than normal and stick to a light day pack. You'll
build up leg strength soon enough.
Cardio Vascular Stuff
If you use a heart rate monitor, you'll
probably find, post illness, that you're having to work
harder to move at the same speed. Rather than pushing things
harder, it's better to go by your heart rate and keep the
effort down to a pre-determined level. Again, don't panic,
things will improve gradually.
It's also one of the ways you can start
to gauge your recovery from illness. If you regularly take
your pulse first thing in the mornng, before getting up,
you'll get what's known as your resting pulse. If it's more
than three beats per minute higher than normal, chances are
that you're still not fully recovered. But it's not even
that simple...
IIlness Effects
Some studies suggest that even once your
resting pulse is back to normal, viruses can hang around for
up to five days. If you try and work too hard, too soon,
your immune system can weaken and kaboom, you're back to
square one, or potentially even worse, and back to bed. So
don't rush it, even if it means giving up on a long-planned
outing.
If you've had gastric problems, you also
need to be aware that your reserves can be depleted. First,
in the short term, you may still be dehyrated, so make sure
you drink a lot of fluid and include some specialist
rehydration mix like Dioralyte or a sports drink to
replensish minerals and salts that you may be short
of.
The next problem is that if you haven't
been eating, the glycogen reserves in your muscle and liver
can be depleted. That's bad news as they're crucial for hard
exercise and can take up to three days to replenish. Work
too hard, too soon and you can find yourself in a vicious
circle f depleted glycogen stores, which are never properly
restored. Eat simple carbohydrate-rich foods and be aware
that if you've effectively been fasting, it may take several
days for your to fuel up properly.
The Bottom Line
It may just sound like common sense, but
there are good reasons to take it easy for longer than you
think when you've been unwell. Lance Armstrong's coach
reckons you should take twice as long as you think necessary
to get back into training and with good reason.
When you do start getting out and about
again, take it easy for the first few sessions. Keep your
effort level below the point where you start to get
breathless, cut the distance you walk and avoid big loads
and listen to your body. If you feel disportionately tired,
you may not be fully recovered, so rest up for a day or two
and give your body a chance. It'll be worth it in the
end.
Woof!
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