My health story

Consistency month

1. Target 200km=221km done ✅

2. Target 4 runs a week- 1 week failed but compromised with a 5/4 week

3. Target to keep moving -done ✅

Not easy to run or walk or exercise in general much harder when you are a woman and even more difficult when you are pregnant but it should never been an excuse to stop moving.

Benefits of exercising when pregnant

✅ Improves energy levels

Regular movement can help reduce fatigue and improve overall stamina.

✅ Reduces back pain and aches

Exercise strengthens muscles that support your back, hips, and pelvis, helping to ease common pregnancy discomforts.

✅ Helps manage healthy weight gain

Staying active can support healthy pregnancy weight gain and overall fitness.

✅ Improves mood and reduces stress

Physical activity releases endorphins, which can help reduce anxiety and improve emotional well-being.

✅ Promotes better sleep

Many pregnant women find that regular exercise helps them sleep more comfortably.

✅ Lowers the risk of gestational diabetes

Exercise can help your body regulate blood sugar levels more effectively.

✅ May help with blood pressure control

Staying active can support cardiovascular health during pregnancy.

✅ Prepares the body for labor and delivery

Improved strength, endurance, and flexibility can be beneficial during labor and recovery afterward.

✅ Speeds postpartum recovery

Women who remain active during pregnancy often find it easier to return to activity after birth.

Physiotherapy tips for 2 nights before a race:

* Prioritize sleep — your body recovers and stores energy best with proper rest.
* Don’t try anything new — no new shoes, stretches, foods, or workouts.
* Keep moving lightly — an easy walk or short shakeout run helps circulation without tiring the legs.
* Hydrate steadily throughout the day, not all at once at night.
* Stretch gently, especially calves, hamstrings, hips, and lower back. Avoid deep aggressive stretching.
* Foam roll lightly if your muscles feel tight, but don’t overdo it.
* Elevate your legs for 10–15 minutes to help reduce heaviness and swelling.
* Eat balanced meals with good carbohydrates, moderate protein, and enough salt/electrolytes.
* Prepare race gear early to avoid stress the night before.
* Mentally relax — trust the training you’ve already done.

“Two days before the race, fitness is already built. Your job now is recovery, confidence, and arriving fresh.”

Shin splints

Shin splints are medically known as Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome (MTSS)

- they occur when the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue around your shinbone (tibia) become inflamed due to repetitive stress and overuse.

Primary Causes and Triggers of shin splints

- Training Changes: Sudden increases in the frequency, duration, or intensity of exercise are the most common triggers.

- High-Impact Activities: Repetitive pounding from running, jumping, or sports with sudden starts and stops (like basketball or soccer) puts excessive load on the lower legs.

- Hard or Uneven Surfaces: Running on concrete, asphalt, or hilly/slanted terrain increases the shock your bones must absorb.

- Improper Footwear: Using worn-out shoes that have lost their cushioning or wearing shoes not designed for your specific activity.

Individual Risk Factors

- Biomechanical Issues: Having flat feet (overpronation) or abnormally rigid high arches can prevent proper shock distribution.

- Muscle Weakness: Weakness in the core, hips, or lower leg muscles forces the shins to take on more stress.

- Bone Health: Underlying conditions like osteoporosis or vitamin D deficiency can weaken the tibia, making it more susceptible to stress injuries.

Shin splints typically develop after physical activity.

- They are often associated with running.

- ⁠Any vigorous sports activity can lead to the development of shin splints, especially if you are just starting a fitness program.

- NB: While shin splints usually resolve with rest and ice, persistent pain should be evaluated by a professional to rule out stress fractures.

*PREVENTION OF SHIN SPLINTS

1. Wear a proper fitting athletic shoe

- look for athletic shoes that match your particular foot pattern

- ⁠make sure you wear shoes designed for your sport

- ⁠Running long distances in court-type sneakers can contribute to shin splints.

2. ⁠Cross train

- Alternate jogging with lower impact sports like swimming or cycling

- ⁠get involved in gym and strength training

3. Barefoot running

- barefoot running has helped to resolve shin splints

- ⁠it spreads out impact stresses among muscles, so that no area is overloaded.

4. Gradually increase your distance or training

- Pushing too far, too fast can put you at risk for stress injuries.

5. As a physiotherapist I encourage all my runners to do strength training as a preventive measure to injuries

- when one has an injury I encourage my runners to do more strength training and replace most of the runs with strength training or cross training

- Are you currently experiencing pain in a specific spot on your shin, or is it a diffuse ache across a larger area?

Please visit your physiotherapist and get it checked before it gets super worse

Also follow my WhatsApp channel for more Physio related topics https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb5ti9AIyPtTQHkXrA2k/263

Please follow my channel https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029Vb5ti9AIyPtTQHkXrA2k/237

SportsPhysioRopa - WhatsApp channel Follow SportsPhysioRopa's WhatsApp Channel. This is a channel about my health story, my fitness life, my physiotherapy life, my advices on exercises that can help with different types of pain and how to build strength to help relief pain. Also this channel talks about Weightloss as another way to help with physical pain and managing your health risks factors like diabetes, BP, Obesity and many others. Join 651 followers for the latest updates.

One exercise at a time

One good healthy meal at a time

Apparently weight loss is not a marathon, living healthy it’s not a force it’s something you should love doing and if you do so makes it easier to make it a lifestyle

Let’s keep moving

Do you want help with weightloss and best ideas on which program is easier for you $5.50 a month and I’m your plug

What’s important is to get goals and keep yourself in the loop

Do you feel like you are stuck and can’t get results?

App me $5.50 a month for the group

Or do you want a specialized diet and exercise plan ??

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Can you have a stroke even if you are fit and exercise or if you are a healthy person? Yes
What happens when you have a stroke?
When should you start physiotherapy? Immediately
Should you relax and wait to heal on your own? No
What impact does it have on your recovery if you wait?

Early recognition of signs is essential for saving lives and reducing disability.
1. Balance: Sudden loss of balance or coordination.
2. Eyes: Sudden blurred or double vision, or loss of sight in one or both eyes.
3. Face: One side of the face may droop or feel numb; the person’s smile may be uneven.
4. Arm: One arm may be weak or numb; if both arms are raised, one may drift downward.
5. Speech: Speech may be slurred, or the person may be unable to speak or hard to understand.
6. Time: If you observe any of these signs, rush for emergency

https://wa.me/message/N6IP23SUYKRMD1

Does exercising differently reduce strain in muscles ?

Should you do cross training ?

Should you take rest days?

Is strength training really necessary or as a runner you should just focus on running only to become a better runner?

Yes exercising differently reduces muscle strain
- different exercises require different types of mechanism of action, meaning different types of muscle stimulation
- ⁠strength training is focused on building stronger muscles which support joints and absorb shock, reducing pressure and injury risk
- ⁠aerobic exercises increase blood flow to the muscle removing toxins and metabolic waste that contribute to soreness
- ⁠flexibility and mobility help to lengthen muscles, improve range of motion, and correct muscle imbalances. When on does Stretching, you decrease muscle stiffness and tension, which can help prevent the stiffness and tightness that lead to chronic pain.
- ⁠active recovery after an intense workout or when experiencing mild soreness prevents muscles from becoming stiff and helps a lot with recovery

Iliotibial band syndrome (ITB)

- a common overuse injury causing pain on the outside of the knee or hip, especially in runners
- ⁠it is due to repetitive friction from the tight IT band rubbing over the thigh bone as the knee bends and straightens

How it usually works
- Sharp pain on the outer knee or hip.
- Pain that worsens with activity (running, stairs) and may linger afterward.
- An audible snapping or popping sensation at the knee.
- Swelling on the outer side of the knee

What causes or risks you for this problem

- Overuse: Repetitive knee bending in activities like running, cycling, skiing.
- Tight IT Band: The band becomes overly tense.
- Weak Hip/Core Muscles: Imbalance can increase strain.
- Training Errors: Sudden increase in intensity or duration.
- Poor Form/Foot Mechanics: Overpronation or bowed legs.
- Improper Footwear: Worn-out or ill-fitting shoe

Physiotherapy aims at

- Rest & Activity Modification: Avoid pain-provoking activities, sometimes for up to six weeks
- Ice & Pain Relief: