The Top 3 Activities that Lead to Summer Injuries in Adults

What are the top 3 activities that lead to summer injuries for adults?

1) Yard work- often a situation of doing too much at one time. Repetitive bending, lifting, pushing and trimming frequently lead to low back, neck, shoulder and elbow issues. Our advice- spread the work load among several family members and among several days. Instead of 4 hours of work on one day, divide the work load into 2-3 days. Get as close as you can to something you are lifting or trimming. Doing these with your arms further away from your body can overload the spine, joints and tendons. 

2) Tennis and golf- these are great warm-weather sports, but lead to a elbow tendon and low back problems quite frequently. The same concept discussed above applies: avoid overuse situations. Play 9 holes instead of 18 on some days. If you are a middle-ager, don't expect to play 72 holes on a weekend and not feel some aches and pain. With tennis, consider playing with a 2-handed backhand. Play some doubles, not just singles, as this can decrease your reps, but lead to similar enjoyment of the game. 

3) Running and power walking- many love just being outdoors for these fitness activities, while others are starting to train for 1/2 and full marathons in the fall. A couple of pieces of advice: if training for a race, follow a program/regimen. 12 weeks to train for a 1/2 marathon, 18 weeks for a full. To all: update your athletic shoes every 9-12 months or if any wear is present on the tread. Also, make sure your other shoes are supportive. Flimsy sandals and flip-flops lead to foot, ankle and knee problems, especially if these areas are already being stressed by other fitness activities. When it comes to summer shoes, to some degree, you get what you pay for. A quality pair of sandals or flip-flops will run you $50-$100. 

Enjoy the summer!