Know limits, technique to avoid ‘weekend warrior’ injuries

MOSES LAKE — Hey, life is busy. People have jobs. People have kids. People need to stop by the store on the way home after work. Some days there’s just no time for that after-work run, or to go to the gym.

That makes it all the more tempting for people to try to make up for that lost exercise time on the weekends. Maybe adding an extra mile or so to the Saturday morning run, maybe an extra round of Saturday afternoon golf. After all, it needs to be fitted in somewhere.

It’s common enough it’s got a name: “weekend warrior” syndrome.

Jose Zambrano, manager of the South Campus Athletic Club in Moses Lake, said it’s common for active people to stay active during the week, even if it’s not what would be called a workout. Maybe it’s a walk, maybe it’s a bike ride around the neighborhood. They’re getting exercise somehow.

But the true weekend warriors, people who try to pack multiple days worth of workouts into two days, can put themselves at risk for injury.

The Mayo Clinic website listed some of the potential problems, including muscle strains and ligament strains (think pulled hamstrings and sprained ankles), shoulder pain or low back pain.

Avoiding injury as a weekend warrior, or really, avoiding injury with any kind of fitness routine, starts with a good warmup, according to the Mayo Clinic website. The Center for Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine website suggested what it called a dynamic warmup, jogging and stretching, activities to get the heart pumping. A good warm­up will take some time to complete.

Zambrano said people should take into account their level of fitness, and the routine they’re doing. A person who’s been working out regularly, even if it’s just on weekends, will have a different risk for injury than someone who’s starting a fitness routine, or coming back to regular workouts.

“Know your limits and always make sure you’re using proper technique,” Zambrano said.

The best way to ensure proper technique is to consult a professional, he said, whether that’s a trainer or coach. The Center for Physical Therapy and Sports Medicine website said athletes should make sure they’re using the proper equipment, too.

Once the workout is done, the Mayo Clinic website said people should take some time to cool down, including doing some stretches.

Cheryl Schweizer can be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.