An advantage of living in Utah is the opportunity to experience every season and enjoy different outdoor activities during each one. When spring and summer roll around, the average weekend warrior tends to increase their activity level. Here are a few tips to stay injury free as summer activities begin.
First, compare your winter activity level with the activity level that is planned. Was the past winter spent skiing, snowboarding or being very active? If so, chances are your cardiovascular and muscular fitness levels are up to the challenge for these summer activities. If the last few months were spent on the couch drinking hot chocolate and watching movies, then you’ll need a slower start.
An extremely important part of preventing injury is warming up correctly and maintaining high levels of flexibility. A warm up should be dynamic, last for about 10 minutes and start with low-intensity sport-specific movements. Start slow and gradually increase intensity. The days of jogging for 3-5 minutes followed by 5–10 minutes of static stretching are gone. Static stretching is still important, and does have its place in fitness, but it should be used following a workout as a cool down to help increase soft-tissue flexibility.
To prevent injuries, it is crucial to listen to your body. Your body will give you hints as to when the training program is becoming too difficult. In many situations, ignoring those signs will result in an injury. If do get hurt, remember the word RICE. RICE is a mnemonic and corresponds to R- rest, I- ice, C- compression and E- elevation. The combination of those four treatment techniques can decrease pain levels, control swelling and prevent the injury from worsening. If needed, TOSH offers a Free Injury Assessment program that is open to anyone who feels they need a quick screening of an injury from a Certified Athletic Trainer or Physical Therapist. Appointments can be scheduled by calling 801-314-4040.
TOSH also offers a variety of other programs to keep you healthy and active, including:
- Individual or team performance sports training program.
- Soccer-specific kicking analysis and training program.
- Baseball hitting, throwing,fielding analysis and training.
- TPI-certified golf program.
- Running gait evaluation.
- VO² maximal testing.
- Lactate threshold testing.
- Individual and/or team nutrition consultation.
Information about these programs can be found at playingmybest.com or by calling 801-314-2996.
