General Healing exercises...

Quoted from: 

Dr Malcolm Reads General Training ladder for rehabilitation:

Far too many recreational athletes, as well as professionals, rush back into action too soon, impatient after even after the shortest

lay-off. The result is often a recurrence of the problem or, as the athlete tries to favour the old injury, a new one and different one.

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The secret of a successful comeback is to put the injured area through a graduated series of exercises, each one a little more demanding than the last. This is how and why the following training ladders were devised.  They have been used successfully by everyone from ballrooms dancers to ballet dancers, from typists to taxi drivers, from weekend golfers to world Olympic champions. The principles remain the same.

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Starting on the bottom step of the ladder, the injured person works his or her way through these prescribed exercises. It is important to remember that all movement is a skill; in a simple form of exercise as running there is a rhythm and balance between each leg.  Loss of rhythm during rehabilitation may indicate, that in order to reach the training target, the body is using other muscles to protect the injured one.  It is important to carry out the exercises correctly and to stop at the first sign of pain. If pain occurs, you may be damaging the injury further.  If the pain or ache goes away after 20 seconds, the exercises may be continued.  If the ache goes away after 20 seconds, the exercises may be continued. If the ache or pain persists, STOP-WAIT 24 HOURS- BEGIN AGAIN FROM THE FIRST STEP.  

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If there is a loss of rhythm, stay at the same level or drop back one step on the ladder to regain rhythm,  Do not push on to the next level, even if there is no pain.The new session should start from the bottom but, when reaching a higher level, you may cut down on the number of repetitions.

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No two injuries are alike, so the rate of healing will vary from person to person. By using these training ladders, any athlete can assess when he or she has done too much.  To find out which ladder plan is right for you, first diagnose your injury using the Top-to-Toe guide in chapter 3. Correct treatment and training is given there, referring you to the appropriate ladder plan if necessary. Legs receive the most injuries, so there are several different ladders dealing with specific leg injuries. Some have 2 stages, a lower, and an upper ladder. The lower ladder is designed to keep you fit in the early stages of recovery, while the upper concentrates on rebuilding the strength and technique required by the legs.  However, the lower should still be used after you have graduated to the upper ladder.  Everyone from soccer players to netball players and hockey players to sprinters can use these.

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Other sports, like tennis, badminton, squash and baseball, require special rehabilitation ladders for the arms.  These are also included.  The general muscles ladder spells out the principles that apply to any injury, setting out a step-by-step return to full match fitness.

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How much training to do when injured:

* Intensity should reach the point of pain. Stop, allow pain to settle, then continue. If the pain lasts 20-30 seconds, stop. Train again next day.

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* If injury doesn't hurt at time but hurts later, use NSAIDs (check with GP)

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a) If pain settled by following morning, then training is within injury tolerance.

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b) If pain is worse the following morning, but settles by midday, you are training at the maximum, so reduce the load.

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c) If the pain is worse for the following 24-48 hours, then you have been training well over the maximum recommended. Rest until settles.

    Start again, with a considerable reduction in your load.

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* If you are making good progress, do not increase speed and distance or weight and number of repetitions at same time. Increase distance first,

   later speed; number of repetitions first, then weight.

   Note: Always stretch properly before exercise.

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Cross training routines:

Training using sports different to your own helps to protect all injuries but, at the same time, keeps you fit. The different routines referred to in the ladder plans are explained below.

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PATTER ROUTINE

This simple exercise is effective in raising pulse rate, building fitness without straining knees or hips. It also takes up very little time: quality not quantity is vital to fitness training. 

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The secret is in not lifting the feet far off the ground. What we call a slow patter is more like fast jogging on the spot with knees kept low. Feet must be lifted only 1-2 in. (2.5-5 cm.) Off the floor. A fast patter has the same low knee and foot lift, but you must patter as fast as you can. It is testing yet simple.

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ROUTINE FOR UNFIT ATHLETE (3 Minutes)

1  min            Slow patter

5   sec             Fast patter

50 sec            Slow patter

5   sec             Fast patter

50 sec            Slow patter

10 sec             Fast patter

Rest for 3 minutes while doing stretching exercises. Repeat above routine at least twice, preferably four times.

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ROUTINE FOR FAIRLY FIT ATHLETE (5 Minutes)

50 sec            Slow patter

10 sec              Fast patter

40 sec            Slow patter

20 sec             Fast  patter

50 sec             Slow patter

10 sec              Fast  patter

30 sec             Slow patter

10 sec              Fast  patter

50 sec            Slow  patter

30 sec              Fast patter

Rest for 3 minutes while doing stretching exercises. Repeat above routine at least once, preferably three times.

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ROUTINE FOR FIT ATHLETE (13 minutes)

Do routine for unfit athlete once, followed immediately by routine for fairly fit athlete twice.

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*Patter = Tempo

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General muscle ladder:

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