Weekend Warrior Syndrome as I will call it refers to those who exercise hard on the weekend. You are most likely older than 30 and were athletic your whole life or (maybe were late to the party). Athletic endeavors are great and even encouraged for mind and body health. However, as you age, you may need to take extra care or time to properly warm-up and condition your body. Do not take this as not to exercise. Rather be proactive in caring for your body to prevent injuries.
As the body ages many changes occur: ligaments and tendons begin to lose their elasticity and become stiffer, muscle flexibility tends to be lost, muscle strength and power decline, and bone strength begins to decline. The daily inactivity that happens with most individuals contributes to these physiologic changes. Many of these changes fit the whole use it or lose it phenomena. Others will happen regardless as a part of the normal aging process.
Some of the most common injuries that I treat from this population include Achilles tendon strains, tears or ruptures, various lower body muscle pulls, knee pain, rotator cuff injuries and tennis elbow. Many of these injuries are avoidable as mentioned above, but the individual must be proactive.
Those feelings of tightness or soreness may be an indication of something more significant about to happen. The weird feelings in your joints or muscles several days after may indicate your body needs help. Just because you played sports before does not mean your body will automatically remember all the intricacies of the specific movement patterns. More specifically your joints and muscles may not be able to handle the strain as easily as when you were younger. The days of jumping out of your parents car and into whatever activity you played without warm-up are over. Just watch how the Olympic athletes take the time to warm-up over the next 2 weeks. If high caliber athletes need this, so does the average Joe/Jane Weekend Warrior.
Concerned about potentially injuring yourself or you actually have an injury? Seeking treatment sooner than later is advised. Many of the more serious injuries we see at the clinic start off as something very minor and manageable. Waiting longer to seek treatment often results in greater severity and take much longer to heal when neglected. A solid musculoskeletal screen by someone knowledgeable (like a physical therapist) can help find those areas you may need to address (strength, flexibility, coordination, etc.) before you become injured. If you are injured, we are often the best people to help you recover and learn how to prevent future injury.
Want more information on Weekend Warrior Syndrome?
Come to a FREE event August 13th at 10am entitled Weekend Warrior: How to stay fit and prevent activity limiting injuries. Free injury screens before and after as well as a Free Pilates 101 class before the event.