16 The QUEE NS Courier • health • APRIL 7, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com ▶health Avoiding weekend warrior wounds By Craig W. Armstrong Some folks were athletes, back in the day. Other people are trying to get the most out of life or prove to themselves that they are not aging. Whatever the motivation, some people try to do too much physical and sports related activity and end up injured. These people are sometimes referred to as Weekend Warriors. These folks spend the week working and try to squeeze in a lot of physical activity during the two days of the weekend. By doing this many people sustain injuries such as strains, sprains and sometime fractures. So if you are a weekend warrior, what can you do to stay healthy? As with any physical activity, make sure you are healthy enough for the activity. This means seeing your doctor for a check and their approval. Let’s assume you have done that and have being engaged in these activities for a while. The first thing to consider your activity during the week is your job sedentary or do you get little physical activity? If so, your body is not used to being suddenly thrust into a softball game or running a 5k and that is when injuries occur. The best way to avoid injury due to weekday inactivity is to get active. Hit the gym during the week, go for a run, go for a walk, do some stretching, do some lifting. You need to put your body on a regular routine and make sure it is ready for the weekend’s activities. Warming up is another way to avoid injury and should be done before any physical activity. This means stretching and slow aerobic activity. A few minutes on the treadmill or around the track, can get your body warmed up. When stretching, hold your stretch for 30 seconds and DONÕT BOUNCE. This may be the way you were taught in gym class, but it can cause injury. Cooling down is also important. After your activity is done, don’t just stop. Take a walk or slow job and stretch again. Don’t increase your activity too fast. Don’t go from running one mile to five miles the next weekend. Consider increasing your activity and intensity slowly every four weeks. Get enough rest, especially if you are over 30. Try to get eight hours of sleep each night during the week and on the weekends. This will allow your joints and muscles to recover. Make sure you are exercising your whole body. You would be amazed how most physical activity requires the use of your whole body, not just your legs or upper body. Make sure the whole package is ready for the activity. Use the proper equipment and get the proper training. Make sure you have the correct shoes, protective gear or whatever is needed for your activity. Make sure you been trained to do it correctly, by someone who knows. Using the wrong form can cause an injury very quickly. Stay hydrated, before, during and after the activity. Make sure your diet is well balanced and consider taking a multi vitamin. Most of all, listen to your body. It will be very clear in telling you if it is injured or if it has had enough. Don’t push beyond your limits; remember you are not a professional athlete. Being physically active on the weekends is great for many reasons. Just make sure that you use common sense, consider these suggestions and enjoy your time off of work.
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