Sarah Bradbury discusses the pandemic’s impact on general health and fitness.
Last year’s very strange summer of coronavirus, lockdown, limited travel and unusually hot weather gave many of us the time and opportunity to rekindle our love of an old hobby or pastime, or to discover a new one.
2020 will be remembered as a significant year for each of us, and that can be in positive or negative ways; shock, worry and uncertainty but also for many unexpected space and time. When lockdown was suddenly thrust upon us, many of us suddenly found we didn’t need a dog or child as a reason to go for a walk. People started exploring their local area on foot or by bike, either by themselves or with their family.
Sport England noted the lockdown restrictions started with people too worried to leave their homes, but this soon eased. Some 60 per cent had reservations in the first couple of weeks, compared to 47 per cent six weeks in. People walking for exercise went up from 59 per cent in the first week to 63 per cent by the sixth, and cycling from eight to 13 per cent. 45 per cent of people on average kept active at home as well, using online exercise classes or just dancing around the living room!
This change in behaviour was supported by the national bike association, which reported that once we hit April, sales of bikes in the range of £400 to £1k more than doubled, eventually rising by 112 per cent in number and 99 per cent in value compared to April in the previous year.
Benefits of sport and exercise
As we all know the benefits of regular exercise are endless, although there are often debates and changes in guidance as to whether we get more long-term benefit from short bursts of intense activity, like a HIIT session, or from longer, more leisurely pursuits such as walking.
The physical activity guidelines from the NHS for adults aged 19 to 64 is to do some form of physical activity every day. This should include strengthening activities that work all the major muscles at least twice a week, and at least 150 minutes of moderate activity or 75 minutes of vigorous intensity activity a week while reducing time spent sitting or lying down by breaking up long periods of not moving, although this can prove difficult as a dentist.
The NHS states that people who exercise regularly have a lower risk of developing many chronic conditions such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, stroke, and some cancers by up to 50 per cent, plus you can also lower your risk of early death by up to 30 per cent. On top of that, research shows that physical activity can also boost self-esteem, mood, sleep quality and energy, as well as reducing your risk of stress, depression, dementia and Alzheimer’s disease.
Which sport or exercise is the best for you?
Some of us exercise to keep fit, healthy and flexible, others to maintain their weight or for stress relief and some just for pure pleasure, team camaraderie, competition or the physical challenge. Your motives for exercising will in turn determine what you do; is it more appropriate for you to join a spin class or a gym workout, enjoy the outdoors with a cycle, horse ride or hike or is it about exploring, whether by ski, sail or scuba diving? Each is dependent on our desires and motivations, and obviously influenced at the moment by the requirements of social distancing and travel restrictions, although for dental professionals there may be some additional considerations than for people with other careers.
Dental professionals and sports
As a dentist, you may be more cautious than others of your age about undertaking potentially dangerous leisure and sporting activities, such as rock climbing, mountain biking, skiing or horse riding. You may also have decided not to participate at a more competitive level because of the risk of injury, and the impact that could have on your everyday working life, potentially with time away from practice where you could de-skill and lose income.
Dentists’ Provident has member dentists who undertake a variety of sports and leisure activities on a regular basis including skiing and snowboarding, cross-country, trekking, golf, cycling, martial arts, horse riding and scuba diving. As well as sailing and other waterbased activities, holding a variety of qualifications, including a range from the Royal Yachting Association and national level coaches, there is evidence that some dentists do risk a slightly higher level of competition in their sports.
In 2019 Dentists’ Provident received claims of over £75k for cycling related incidents and accidents, and for snow related claims it was over £25k with over £13k for walking, hiking, running, over £2k for horse riding and over £26k for team and racquet sport injuries.
Injury prevention
Being knowledgeable, experienced and well trained, and using the correct equipment and techniques, could all help to minimise injury, however you can never guarantee that your horse won’t ‘spook’ and that you’ll fall off awkwardly, your jib sheet won’t swing round too fast and hit you or that you won’t take an unexpected tumble on the slopes. Sports injury experts indicate that increased flexibility can help reduce the possibility of injury, so it may be prudent to factor in preventive exercises to improve your flexibility, such as stretching, pilates or yoga.
Sports injuries are broadly classified into either traumatic/acute injuries or overuse injuries. Traumatic injuries account for most injuries in contact sports, such as bruises, fractures and head injuries, whereas overuse injuries tend to include muscle strains from repetitive action. But, according to the National Sports Medicine Institute (NSMI), the most common cause of a sports injury is ‘the failure to warm-up sufficiently before beginning strenuous activity.’ It is also just as important to cool down the muscles after any activity to return your heart rate back to normal.
The future on foot?
The better we all look after our health and wellbeing, the more we can hope to get the most out of life. Exercise and physical activity can play a crucial role in how you feel about yourself, your health and wellbeing, but it may be wise to start slowly. Checking with a medical professional and carefully preparing for your chosen sport can reduce unnecessary risk that may otherwise negatively impact your career.
As a result of the pandemic, far more people are likely to be cycling or walking to avoid public transport, supported by the government’s plans to boost greener, active transport. The plan, launched in May, is set to provide pop-up bike lanes with protected space for cycling, wider pavements, safer junctions, and cycle and bus-only corridors as part of a £2bn investment. So perhaps the pandemic has given rise to a healthier future, it will just be interesting how things develop as the seasons change.
You may be missing sailing, diving or skiing with the travel restrictions and are likely to be rusty when you start again, or you may have developed a love for the downhill speed of your new road bike or the freedom of running off-road. Whatever your sport and circumstances, it is worth remembering that the more you can do to be cautious and prevent injuries the greater the chances of avoiding being off work.
References available on request.