Community sport is back.
It was great to drive around Newcastle on Saturday and see so many kids back out on the fields around the city playing cricket. Some senior competitions also swung back into action last week and others are gearing up for their return this weekend.
Pre-season training will also kick off for a lot of winter sports in coming weeks and most will be gung-ho to get back into action after an extended period on the sidelines.
But a steady as she goes approach is being recommended, especially for those who were inactive throughout lockdown.
Newcastle personal trainer Scott Hingston, who works out of Green Life Gym and helps with strength and conditioning for Merewether Carlton rugby players, suggests a low-impact program to begin with.
Strength and conditioning training can prevent the body from injury and help to prepare it for the rigours of your selected sport.
"A low-impact strength and conditioning program is more effective for injury prevention," Scott says.
"We saw a lot of injuries this year because players had had a season off due to Covid last year.
"Taking one step backwards and focusing on activating the appropriate muscles again rather than trying to play catch-up and go straight into high-intensity intentions would be an important message."
A focus on patterns of movement for your specific sport will also be helpful, Scott says.
This could be particularly important for those preparing to start pre-season for a sport next year.
What position you play in your chosen sport can also require specific training.
"Even if you play the same sport as someone else, you look at what position they play in that sport and what patterns of movement they do every game," he said.
"If they play striker in soccer, they're doing more sprinting. So, more of that short, sharp stuff. If they play at the back, they might tend to do more jumping. Everyone is a bit different. A goalkeeper might do more agility work.
"Across the board for those coming back and getting ready for sport next year, I'd be looking at doing basic, low-impact stuff. More running in straight lines. Bodyweight work. Not so much heavy weights in the gym but looking at straight line running as opposed to really short, sharp bursts.
"It's getting the foundations right first. Work on your fitness first then short, sharp and explosive work as the last of your priorities."
Return of events
If you turned to running or walking through lockdown then there are a couple of community events coming up that could provide the perfect next challenge.
One is Recovery Run Newcastle. It has five-kilometre and 10km options and is being staged around the foreshore on November 14.
Send your health and fitness news to r.valentine@newcastleherald.com.au.
Renee Valentine is a journalist, qualified personal trainer and mother of three.
