“We must sort out any ailments and adapt the body to physical exercise”

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 Marta is 61 years old, she is an educator and has worked as a teacher for 39 years. A year ago, she decided that the time had come to hand over to the next generation, which is highly trained to take on the challenges set by education in the 21st century. This early retirement is allowing her to spend time on social topics that interest her, with no hurry, and to enjoy her hobbies, such as music and sport. “I have never been an amateur athlete, but the truth is that sport and physical activity have accompanied me throughout my life, both personal and professional,” she explains. In her childhood she spent three afternoons a week doing artistic gymnastics at the Joaquin Blume gymnasium; and as a young woman she loved aerobics and classes aimed at physical maintenance..

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The challenge came when she started working in a school. “I was asked if I could be responsible for the physical education of some classes,” she recalls. At that point, Mart trained studying courses at the INEF (Institute of Physical Education) and seminars with advisors on this subject, amongst others, until she finally passed the exams as a specialist in physical education. For her, it has been “a luxury and a pleasure” working, learning and teaching” using sport, playing, the body and corporal expression.” And, although she has never practiced a competitive sport, she has always had exercise in her life. “For health reasons and because my professional profile needed it,” she points out.

Orientation and prevention

Now, she enjoys hiking and playing paddle tennis with her friends, all of which more intensely than before, but she started to notice discomfort and problems. “I had to find a solution,” she affirms. Therefore, when she felt some problems in her knees while hiking along the Camino De Santiago, she decided to come to ASSISPORT. “I needed them to do me a medical check-up and find some sports guidance.”

At ASSISPORT, patients receive an advisory service that is completely adapted to their circumstances, conditions and aptitudes. In this way, future injuries are prevented and physical activity is managed to be adapted to each person.

In the case of ASSISPORT, Marta explains that it is a free service. She is following some guidelines recommended by the physiotherapist aimed at continuing to strengthen her muscles and working on her lumbar region. But not all patients can be treated at sports medicine centres. At times, their pathologies are referred to other specialists or cannot be resolved with the services offered. “During the first visit the doctor, a medical aptitude report was carried out in which all the important information was gathered: medical history, allergies, biometry and an anthropometric valuation” she comments. The results from the physical examination were added to this study, along with cardio-circulatory, respiratory, locomotor system and mobility tests and the ergonometric test with the valuation of the stress test. Based on all this information from the patient, professionals at the centre indicate the degree of aptitude she has to practice sport and some individualised recommendations are prepared to achieve maximum well-being and health.

In Marta’s case, the professionals at ASSISPORT have opted for strengthening of the quadriceps muscles and an intense core work that she carried out with the assessment and help of the physiotherapist. “At these sessions, the physiotherapist shows me the exercises so that I can carry them out correctly,” Marta explains. Then, once she knows how to do them, they are taped for reviewing and repeating at home. “The exercises are explained in detail so that they are carried out correctly and the right posture is achieved,” she adds. In her case, she practices them at home for a few weeks and little by little, from the sports medicine centre the number and intensity of the exercises are increased with the aim of practicing sport safely, preventing future injuries and adapting the physical activity more.

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