Weekend Warrior Safety

As the winter fades farther away and the weather gets warmer and warmer, outdoor sports are taking a forefront in people’s minds.  At family get-togethers, rather than stay indoors from the cold weather, guests will venture outside to compete in a variety of athletic endeavors from horseshoes to beach volleyball.  While children may (but should not) get away with running and playing without adequate warm up, adults are not quite as lucky.  This article will discuss the importance of warm up strategies to prevent the weekend warriors from making the Monday morning trip to the doctor of physical therapy office with a new injury.

Muscles and tendons rest in a shortened position so that your body can conserve energy.  During running and sports, those same muscles are put on quick stretches to allow your body to play.  If those shortened muscles are not appropriately lengthened in preparation for athletics, they are predisposed to damage.

Research has shown that performing an active warm up will help to lengthen and increase blood flow to muscles and prepare your body to compete.  Our BREAKTHRU website (www.breakthrupt.com) has a “clients” tab that you can access for videos of the active warm up with a description of how to perform each exercise.  There are also print outs of these activities available for those without computer access.  If there are any questions about the warm up routine, feel free to ask one of the BREAKTHRU physical therapists or personal trainers.  We are also available for free consultations to assess any deficits and risks for injury you may be experiencing.  Remember, it is always easier to correct any problems on Friday than it is to repair any injuries on Monday.