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April 2008 – Easing Into Summer Sports
Have you been a couch potato since the temperature dropped below 50 degrees? Has winter’s fury kept you from your favorite outdoor sports?
Now that spring is on the horizon, you may be eager to leap into baseball, biking, jogging, swimming, soccer, tennis, golf, skateboarding or other beloved sport. But, wait!
| “Whatever sport or activity you enjoy, it’s important to start slow,” said Mike Ribar, ATC, PES, head athletic trainer and coordinator of the Performance Enhancement Program (PEP), a service of the Sports Medicine Center of Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin. |
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“When you push yourself too fast or too hard, you can end up with muscle strains and injuries. You can’t go through a long winter without any exercise and expect to be at a 100 percent performance level in any activity. You have to pace yourself.”
Pre-Season ConditioningRibar recommends a conditioning warm-up before the first time out in a sport. For example, before playing a baseball game, start by playing catch with someone. Before playing a set of tennis, hit a tennis ball off a wall for 10 minutes. Before playing 18 holes of golf, go to a range and practice your swing, or do back rotations and half swings to warm up.
“If you compete in a more rigorous sport, such as basketball, you’ll need to put in more preparation time,” he said.
Then, follow the warm-up with a stretching regimen. “Stretch your arms and legs to the point where the muscles feel stretched, but not to the point where you feel pain,” Ribar said. “Each stretch should last at least 30 seconds.”
Gradually increase your duration and intensity in the activity or sport until you feel ready for full participation.
Cross training — partaking in a variety of physical activities to work different muscles — is also helpful. A tennis player, for example, might begin the season by jogging to enhance his or her leg muscles, coordination and stamina. The stronger and more flexible a person is, the less likely an injury will occur.
Ribar said it’s also important to:
- Know your limits — if you feel pain while playing, don’t push on. Stop!
- Stay hydrated — drink 8 ounces of water every 30 minutes for all sports and exercise activities; if active for more than 60 minutes, drink a carbohydrate beverage. (Avoid alcohol before sports or exercise.)
- Eat properly — avoid a large meal before sports or exercise.
- Use the right equipment for the sport.
- Take lessons to avoid injury.
PEP Program Prepares People for SportsThe Performance Enhancement Program offers services to help men and women get in top condition for sports. “We can do evaluations and consultations to help people do proper stretching,” Ribar said. “We can also help people work through tight muscles, a muscle imbalance or a strained back or other injury and help them prevent further injury.” The Sports Medicine Center also offers resistance training, circuit training and general aerobic conditioning.
Small Stones ResourcesSmall Stones, a health resource center of Froedtert & the Medical College of Wisconsin, offers many resources related to healthful sports and exercise:
Products
Biofreeze pain relieving gel (roll-on or spray)
4- and 6-inch foam rollers
Elastic exercise bands
Gymnic exercise balls
Digiwalker Pedometer
Grandpa’s garden therapeutic massage oil (for muscle and joint pain)
Kinesio tape
Yoga mats, straps and wedges
Books
Nancy Clark’s Sports Nutrition Guidebook by Nancy Clark, MS, RD
Triathlon 101 by John Mora
Strength Training Anatomy by Frederic DeLavier
Age-Defying Fitness by Marilyn Moffat, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA, and Carole B. Lewis, PT, DPT, PhD, FAPTA
The Real Age Workout by Michael F. Rozien, MD, and Tracy Hafen, MS, with Lawrence A. Armour
The Anatomy of Sports Injuries by Brad Walker
Stretching by Suzanne Martin
Walk On to Total Fitness by Stott Pilates
Simple Stretches with PJ O’Clair by Stott Pilates
Anatomy for Strength and Fitness Training by Mark Vella
Author: Marla Fraunfelder Date: April 1, 2008 | Medical Reviewer: | Mike Ribar, ATC, PES | | Head athletic trainer, Performance Enhancement Program |
Online Editor(s): Christopher Sadler
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