If you are one of those individuals who engage in intense physical activities such as exercise and sports primarily on weekends due to your busy weekday schedules, you probably belong to the weekend warrior tribe.
Unlike professional athletes and people who regularly engage in physical activities, weekend warriors are more prone to certain types of injury due to their inconsistent activity levels and lack of consistent training and conditioning.
The good news is that weekend warriors can continue enjoying their chosen sport or activity on weekends without getting sidelined by injuries by following some simple tips recommended by sports medicine doctors. Sports medicine doctors perform a comprehensive evaluation to assess an individual’s risk for sports injuries and provide necessary education and guidance on preventing these injuries.
Let’s discuss some common sports injuries of weekend warriors and some tips and principles they can follow to stay active and injury-free.
Common Sports Injuries in Weekend Warriors
Sports injuries refer to any injuries that an individual – whether a weekend warrior, professional athlete, amateur athlete, or any physically active individual – sustains while engaging in sports or physical activity. Weekend warriors are prone to many sports injuries, some of which are as follows:
- Muscle strains
- Ligament sprains
- Tendonitis
- Stress fractures
- Rotator cuff injuries
- Back strains
- Concussions
- Tennis elbow
- Shin splints
Sports Medicine Tips to Stay Active and Injury-Free
It’s worth noting here that sports medicine provides injury prevention strategies based on the specific demands of each physical activity.
The following are some tips that a sports medicine doctor recommends to weekend warriors and recreational athletes to prevent sports injuries.
Stick to Warm-ups and Cool-downs
Before and after exercising, warm-ups and cool-downs are two important things to do. The warm-up is like a gentle start. It gets your body ready for physical activity and prevents injuries. You can do light activities like walking or moving your body a bit.
Cool-down is like a gentle finish that helps your body recover after exercise or activity and makes your muscles less sore. You can do light activities in cool-down but for a short duration.
Go Easy at First
It might be tempting to jump into high-intensity activities. However, it can put you at risk for injuries. So, don’t push too hard right away. Always start with easier workouts and gradually make them tougher so your body can slowly adapt. Therefore, increasing your exercise or workout load by no more than 10% per week is recommended.
Learn and Use Proper Techniques and Forms
Doing workouts and moving your body correctly is super important in sports and exercise. Using the right technique and maintaining proper body alignment reduces the risk of injury and ensures that you get the most benefit from your workouts.
It’s recommended to consult a fitness trainer or coach to learn the proper techniques and forms for your unique activity.
Don’t Forget to Strength Train
Strength training involves various exercises and activities that challenge your muscles to become stronger. It helps build muscles, increase metabolism, and improve your overall physical health. Therefore, include strength training in your fitness routine to prevent injuries and stay active.
Orthopedic Clinic in San Antonio, TX
Whether you are looking for the treatment of sports injuries or want to prevent sports injuries from occurring in the first place, our highly trained and compassionate orthopedic doctors and sports physicians have you covered. We provide a comprehensive range of orthopedic and sports medicine services to our patients in and around San Antonio, TX. We help our patients prevent orthopedic and sports injuries and use the latest orthopedic techniques and equipment to help restore the maximum function possible in the light of degenerative disease or orthopedic injury.
If you would like to schedule a one-on-one with one of our providers at our orthopedic clinic, contact us today at (210) 692-7400 or use our convenient online appointment request form.
