Are you a hero of the modern world? Are you busy working all week only to find yourself squeezing your exercises in on Saturday and Sunday? Deconditioning, inflexibility, and poor biomechanics put you at risk for injury. This post is for you, weekend warriors! Here are some helpful reminders to not join the statistics.
Most commonly associated diagnoses
- Epicondylitis – Golfers/Tennis elbow
- Iliotibial Band Syndrome
- Patellofemoral Pain Syndrome – Runner’s knee
- Shin Splints
- Ankle Sprain
- Stress Fractures
Best tips for injury prevention:
Start slowly. Perform a proper warm-up regiment: The best way to prevent sprains or muscle pulls is by warming up the muscles and tendons prior to exercise. Get the blood flowing and heat up the muscle tissue before stretching.
Increase your activity and intensity gradually: Start with an intensity or activity level that you can handle, and do not increase weight resistance, speed, or duration by more than 10% each week. Find a pace you’re comfortable with to start.
Keep a balanced routine and schedule: There is something to be said about a regular schedule. Cross-training, varying up cardio, stretching, strengthening, and recreational activities, helps to prevent overuse injuries by offloading the frequency of muscle and tendon utilization.
Listen to your body: The saying “no pain, no gain” is one of the easiest ways to predispose your body to traumatic injury. If you feel pain while ramping up your exercises, you should stop. Try to determine what your body is telling you and follow suite. If you have questions regarding the onset symptoms, seek out medical attention or get a screen from a physical therapist.
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If you do happen to incur an injury, the best initial principal to follow is the R.I.C.E. method:
Rest the injury to allow for healing.
Ice the area for 10-15 minutes to decrease inflammation.
Compression the area to reduce swelling.
Elevate above heart level to reduce swelling.
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If these tips fail to keep off the injured list, you will probably benefit from a 1-on-1 evaluation with a physical therapist. If you’re interested, you can hit the Request More Information button at the top of this page and we will get in touch with you!
