Athletics Advice from the NHS

 The NHS is advising Olympic onlookers to make sure they prepare thoroughly for the sporting confrontation. With the games around the corner, more and more people are participating in physical activity,  in order to emulate the sports in which they witness, inspired by some of Britain's top athletes.

The Olympics are inspiring more and more people
to participate in physical activity.

 However, many people doing so are unaware of what is required of their favourite athletes, making them prone to injury. Debbie Wright - an NHS public health consultant in Lancashire - stated “It's very important to warm up properly for a minimum of 10 minutes. Start with a few minutes of gentle exercise, such as walking or jogging, to get the blood flowing to your muscles. Gradually increase the pace
until you are running briskly.

 “Once your muscles are warm, do some gentle stretching exercises, paying particular attention to the muscle groups that you will be using, for example, legs for running and arms and shoulders for racquet sports.

 “A gentle cool-down after exercise will mean less muscle stiffness and soreness afterwards.”



 The NHS has suffered a staggering 2 million people visiting a hospitals A&E department, with injuries which could be personally cared for, and 12% of people admitting that they have been to an A&E knowing that there was nothing seriously wrong with them.

 This said, the NHS are telling patients that any self sustained ache, pain or sprain should be treated by the RICE treatment (Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation).

 Phillipa Walsh, Lancashire Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust physiotherapy outpatient manager, said "Rest the injured joint or muscle and avoid activity. Apply ice or frozen veg wrapped in a damp towel to the injured area for 15 to 20 minutes, every two to three hours during the day, but not while you sleep.

“Use a crepe or elastic bandage to limit any swelling, but take the bandage off before you got to sleep. Keep the injured area raised and supported on a pillow to reduce swelling. Taking paracetamol will relieve any pain.”