As a weekend warrior, you may spend most of your work week sitting at a desk, which can make you more susceptible to injuries when you suddenly switch to a more active lifestyle over the weekend. Activities can include sports like tennis, golf, basketball. It can even be something like moving heavy items while cleaning out the garage.
Some of the most common injuries that weekend warriors experience include sprained ankles, shin splints, pulled groin, tennis elbow, shoulder injuries, hamstring strains, ACL tears, and hip flexor strains. These injuries can be painful and can take weeks or even months to heal, which can prevent you from enjoying your favorite activities.
To prevent these injuries, it’s important to take proactive measures and make sure you’re prepared before engaging in any physical activity. Below are the eight most common weekend warrior injuries, along with tips on how to prevent them.
Sprained Ankles
This has probably happened to you or one of your tennis friends. Sudden direction changes on the court can cause an ankle to “roll”, tearing the ligaments surrounding the ankle.
To help prevent this, invest in a GOOD pair of tennis-specific shoes that provide ample support to your feet and ankles. You can also do balancing exercises, such as standing on one foot. This can help strengthen your supportive muscles and prevent sprained ankles.
Shin Splints
Shin splints can be avoided by strengthening your feet, ankles, calves, and hips. By building up your core muscles, you can provide a more stable base for your body and reduce the risk of injury during long runs.
Pulled Groin
Pulled groin muscles usually happen to people who play sports with a lot of lateral movement, such as soccer and basketball. You can avoid this injury by warming up before playing sports and making sure you don’t push yourself too hard while playing. Strengthening the muscles in your hips, thighs, and glutes can help with pelvic stability and reduce the risk of groin pulls.
Tennis Elbow
What weekend warrior tennis player hasn’t had this injury, am I right? Tennis elbow occurs when repeated arm movements cause strain on your forearm ligaments. To avoid this injury, always stretch your forearms and wrists before and after playing sports. If you start to feel any arm pain while you’re playing, stop immediately. Also, make sure that you’ve got the correct grip size, and that you’re using proper technique.
Shoulder Injuries
Shoulder injuries include muscle strains, dislocations, rotator cuff tears, and ligament strains. They commonly happen to people playing sports like tennis, golf, and baseball, where you perform intensive, repetitive motion. To reduce your risk of shoulder injuries, it’s important to warm up and stretch before playing hitting the courts. If you do hurt your shoulder, ice it and take time off from sports while it heals. If it doesn’t get better within a week or two, you may need help from a physical therapist.
Hamstring Strains
Hamstring strains happen when muscles at the back of your thigh get injured. Stretching before and after exercise is the best way to avoid hamstring strains. You can also strengthen your hamstrings through exercises like lunges and leg curls.
ACL Tears
ACL tears are serious injuries (not just for weekend warriors, either!) that require immediate attention. I’ve actually seen this happen to a player that was just standing at the net. She simply turned to get a backhand volley and snap! She tore her ACL. To prevent ACL tears, it’s important to always warm up before playing tennis (even doubles) or exercising. If you notice any knee pain while on the court, stop immediately and rest.
Hip Flexor Strains
Hip flexor strains make it not only difficult to move on the court, but to walk or climb stairs. You can reduce your risk of hip flexor strains by improving your core and hip strength to stabilize your body while running. The more stable you are, the less likely you are to strain your hip flexor. Yoga also helps make your hips more flexible, reducing the chance for strain.
By taking the necessary precautions and taking care of your body, you can enjoy your favorite activities without worrying about getting injured.
So, get out there and have fun!
