After a long week of work, the weekend is here, and you’ve figured it is time to take care of yourself – treat yourself to a good meal, hang out with friends, and finally get back into your exercise plan. Do you try to push yourself harder on the weekend to make up for the lack of exercise in the week? If this sounds like you, you are considered a member of the “weekend warriors” and are unfortunately at risk of some preventable injuries.
Who Are Weekend Warriors?
“Weekend warriors” basically refers to busy individuals who are unable to find time during the week to engage in regular physical activities and try to compensate by cramming all their exercise plans into the weekend. Although it may seem like these warriors are actively doing at least 2-3 physical activities every week and are more preferable than total inactivity, it poses higher risks of getting injured.
As our life gets preoccupied with work, family, and other social commitments, the weekend warrior lifestyle pattern becomes a norm. However, it is important to be mindful of the challenges of this stop-start, sporadic approach to exercise before diving into this popular exercise pattern.
Why Injuries Happen: Sudden Exertion + Lack of Warm-Up
You might think that any kind of sports participation would increase the risk of injury- this could be true, however might not be the sole reason leading up to the weekend warrior injuries. It is the sudden shift from inactivity to intense exertion that contributes largely to their injuries. In the week, depending on your job, many of the population are not actively moving or working out. Their muscles are then constantly in that inactive state, operating at a lower level. But all of a sudden, on the weekend, the muscles are getting pushed to work at that vigorous level with insufficient preparation.
Most of us underestimate the importance of warm-ups and head straight into the main sets/our sports games. However, injuries are very much bound to happen with this combination of sudden exertion and underpreparation. Some common injuries sustained by weekend warriors include hamstring strains, ankle sprains, knee injuries, shoulder strains, etc, which all usually occur when there is a sudden impact or dramatic increase in exertion, consequently overloading or overstretching the structures.
Physio Tips to Prevent Injuries
Now we know why we weekend warriors are more susceptible to injuries, so what can we do to reduce our injury risks? Here are a few tips that can be a part of your routine to help reduce the risk of injury and have the potential to improve your performance.
Warm-up and Cool-down Routines
This is a must. Allocate 10-15 minutes for warm-ups, during which you can do some light cardio, such as fast walking or stairs, first to increase blood flow. Then, you can do some dynamic stretches, e.g., calf stretches, and hold for 5 secs with a few repetitions.
As for cool-down, spend approximately 10 minutes to allow your heart rate and blood pressure to go down to pre-exercise level by doing some walking or light movements. Followed by some static stretches, e.g., hamstring stretches, for longer periods of time of 15 seconds as compared to warm-ups with a few repetitions. This can reduce the accumulation of lactic acid and muscle soreness you may feel after exercising.
Muscle Activation and Mobility Work
Another way to prevent injury is to decrease the drastic shift from sedentary to intense exertion. We can incorporate some simple exercises within the week to keep ourselves somewhat active. These exercises include some core exercises, mobility, and stretching that you can add to your routine, such as 10-15 minutes in the morning before you get out of bed to get you started with your day, and another 15 minutes at night before you sleep to get a better night’s sleep. By having this simple exercise routine, not only can we reduce the risk of injury from weekend exercises, but we can also boost our energy in the week and maintain good physical well-being.
Treating Injuries Without Losing Momentum
If you are unable to seek immediate professional advice after an injury, there are a few things you can do on your own to help with the recovery process. It is important to implement early interventions to speed up recovery as well as to avoid making the injury worse.
We can start by elevating your leg, whether it’s on a pillow or some folded towels; this can help increase blood circulation and help with recovery. Another tip is to compress the area with a compression bandage or braces, which can help reduce the swelling. Most important is to avoid complete rest. Let the injured area move, even if it is just simple movements such as drawing circles with your ankle. This can recruit more blood flow and allow better healing.
How Procure Physio Helps Active Adults Stay in the Game
At Procure Physio, we understand the busy, packed schedules that you are in, and we aim to support you when you have to pick up this weekend warrior lifestyle. Our team is here to prevent your injuries from happening and introduce exercises you can easily add to your daily routine, and if injuries are sustained, we conduct a comprehensive assessment and devise a treatment plan that is tailored for you to get you ready to return to the sports you enjoy.
The least we hope is your lifestyle being interrupted by the injuries, so if you are dealing with some injuries at the moment or you are living the weekend warrior lifestyle and want some advice on injury prevention, we are here to provide you with the support you need. Contact us today and learn more about weekend warrior injuries, treatments, and preventions.
