Three steps to fitness on return
Three steps to fitness on return
Gallagher believes in taking a three-step approach to returning from any injury or illness – frequency, duration, intensity.
First, you should build the frequency back up by returning to training, not being afraid to take a step back along the way if necessary. Then the volume of training (i.e. the number of hours in the saddle) should grow and finally intensity can be added to complete the comeback.
“If you keep those three aspects in check when you’re training, then you’re on to a winner,” he said.
“It’s very hard to set deadlines because you don’t know how somebody will react but it is always about building frequency, then building duration then adding intensity.
“If after three days back, you feel the frequency is not working then you can take a step back, but if feel like you are doing alright then you can add a little bit of volume to that and then add the intensity – by which point you are back to normal training.
“If you try and skip one of those, then you are leaving yourself open to a relapse or will slow your recovery.”