Clinching his 5th gold medal in Standard Chartered Marathon Singapore, the SEA Games marathon gold medalist, Mok Ying Ren, has leaped ahead on his Road to Rio 2016. His eyes are set on his next mark – SEA Games 2015, and thereafter, he is planning a more intensive training stint overseas. It is certain that Mok’s road ahead is lined with rigorous training and he is taking measures to stay as injury-free as possible throughout this crucial period.

Injuries happen to sportsmen when the rate of stress on the body is higher than the rate of recovery.

"I make sure I have adequate rest and recovery with ample sleep," shares Mok. "During sleep, our body produces growth hormone that helps us get stronger and aids recovery."

At the same time, Mok ensures that he eats a well balanced diet. He tries to eat within 30 minutes after training as hormones produced in that duration helps in absorption of nutrients. With his muscles working hard for him, he pampers them with regular massages that improves circulation and, hence, recovery.

It is also common for runners to suffer from knee injuries. As such, Mok prefers to run on soft surfaces like grass and gravel, as compared to road and pavement, to protect his knee joints. In the recent week, Mok also tried lubricating his knees with a topical gel.

Many hope to see our home-grown marathoner complete his Road to Rio 2016 with grit, and at the same time, with care to guard against injury.

Lubricate Joints with FLEXISEQ

UK brand FLEXISEQ is the first drug-free medical gel to ease pain and stiffness of joints associated with Osteoarthritis, by reducing tensions between the adjoining bones.

It is especially beneficial for people suffering from joint pain, usually caused by wear and tear that comes with joint injury or repetitive stress on joints (usually accompanied by frequent involvement in physical sports), and age.

This novel gel utilizes German Sequessome™ technology, making joint lubrication possible by just applying the gel containing Sequessomes™ around the affected joint. Easy-to-use, it only has to be applied twice daily in the morning and evening to tissues around the aching joint.

Sequessomes™ are nano-sized fat “droplets” that are ultra-deformable, such that they can squeeze themselves through the space between skin cells to move into the synovial space between the joint surfaces. In here, layers of Sequessomes™ act as a lubricant to reduce friction between the cartilage layers of the moving joint.

FLEXISEQ is a water-based, non-invasive formulation that avoids risks common to most pain-relief drug treatments, such as heart diseases and stomach-related problems. The nanotechnology-based gel also has no known side effects and is safe for use simultaneously with other treatments.

Available exclusively in all Guardian outlets, FLEXISEQ retails at SG$48 (including GST) for a 50g tube.