FEATURE — You used to have game. Now you are a little older, maybe a little slower and those clothes of yesteryear don’t fit so well any longer. But hey, you’re busy, have a job, don’t exercise or run around like you used to. Still the weekend comes: You see the court, the course, the ball, whatever, and the glory days are back. Or are they?
Five minutes into the action, you are starting to have visions of grandeur and then suddenly you hear a pop, feel a sharp pain and know in an instant you are done. Hence the fall of the mighty weekend warrior.
Unfortunately, this happens all the time.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates nearly 9 million Americans pack a full week’s worth of exercise into just two days. These occasional athletes, also known as weekend warriors, account for the largest population encountering nonprofessional sports-related injuries, which add up to health care costs exceeding more than $18 billion per year.
The most common injuries weekend warriors face include rotator cuff injuries, Achilles tendonitis, golf or tennis elbow, acute knee pain and ankle sprains.
Weekend warriors and recreational athletes suffer from injuries at a rate that far surpasses their everything-in-moderation fitness counterparts. Age and physical condition play significant roles in these injuries as tissue loses its elasticity and is not conditioned properly for rigorous activity. But injuries can be minimized with a dose of common sense prevention.
Here are some tips and suggestions to help you avoid becoming the next weekend warrior visiting a physical therapist:
Always warm up before physical activity, and cool down before finishing.
Warmed muscles are ready for activity and are less susceptible to injury. Warm up and cool down should become part of every workout.
Light stretching.
Often, weekend warriors skip stretching altogether and sometimes overstretch. Routine light stretching helps warm muscles up and increases range of motion.
Commit to fitness throughout the week.
To eliminate muscle shock, introduce physical activity throughout the week that includes cardiovascular activity, stretching, and weightlifting for balanced strength and conditioning.
Rest and listen to your body.
Consecutive days of training translate into increased injuries. While many athletes think the more they train, the better they’ll play, the truth is, a tired body is more susceptible to muscle strain and other injuries. Consistent pains and strains over time can be a sign of underlying tissue injury and if left unchecked can turn into a more serious injury.
See a a physical therapist.
There is no one more knowledgeable and well equipped to help you understand your musculoskeletal system than a physical therapist. A physical therapist will assess strengths and weaknesses from which a comprehensive fitness plan can be tailored to best fit your individual’s needs and goals.
Written by Darren Marchant with contribution from MoveForwardPT.com.
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Twitter: @STGnews
Copyright St. George News, SaintGeorgeUtah.com LLC, 2017, all rights reserved.
Balanced advice, however, this should have been labelled as “Sponsored Content”.
The SL Tribune is pretty good about segregating their solid news content, from infomercials…..
Submitted, not paid for, Caveat. We do label paid content as sponsored.
Thanks,
ST. GEORGE NEWS
Joyce Kuzmanic
Editor in Chief