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Injury Prevention for the Weekend Warrior

Presented by

Bill Byron

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The Weekend Warrior The Weekend Warrior Vicious CycleVicious Cycle

Sun.-Mon.: 24-48 hours later

Joe experiences DOMS

Sat.: Joe participates in weekend touch football game

Tues.-Wed.: 2-3 days later Joe’s DOMS subsides

Joe does nothing for remainder of

the week

Sat.: Joe participates in weekend touch football game

Sun.-Mon.: 24-48 hours later

Joe experiences DOMS

Tues.-Wed.: 2-3 days later Joe’s DOMS subsides

Joe does nothing for remainder of

the week

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A Weekend Warrior is really

• Anyone who takes on a big chore like vigorous exercise, shoveling, raking, heavy lifting and whose bodies are just not in good enough shape to handle the task.

• Leading to an injury……..

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Playing

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Home Projects

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Exercising

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Or just that repetitive motion with no

relief……..

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In addition to his Saturday Football Game,

Joe should • Add at least 2

more days of exercise to his week

• Varying the exercise to both cardio and strength training

• Stretching at every workout

• To avoid– DOMS– Injury– Wear & Tear on

his body

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What causes a sports-related injury?

Overusean injury that comes on gradually

Traumacomes from contact, falls, projectiles (balls) and force.

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Causes of Overuse InjuriesIncreasing activity too quickly

Running or jumping on hard surfacesTraining vigorously without adequate restPoorly functioning equipmentImproper formWorking through painLack of stretching/strengthening

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Two Factors of Sports or Two Factors of Sports or Overuse InjuriesOveruse Injuries

• Intrinsic factors– Age– Skill– Condition of body– Body size– History of injury– Fitness level– Muscle strength,

especially imbalances

– Poor Form

• Extrinsic Factors– Equipment– Environment– Sport or type of

activity– Necessity of

repetitive motion or activity

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Injury ClassificationsInjury Classifications

• Sprains: injuries to ligaments• Strains: injuries to muscles, tendons

or the junction between the two• Contusions: common bruises or

contusions are ether most frequent sports injury.

• Fractures: fractures and dislocations represent two categories of injuries involving either bones or joints of the body

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Types of Fractures

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The old sayingThe old saying

“You don’t play sports “You don’t play sports to get fit, you get fit to to get fit, you get fit to

play sports”play sports”

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What does FIT mean?What does FIT mean?

FIT

Frequency

IntensityTime

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Components of Components of Physical FitnessPhysical Fitness

ororthe Pyramid of Fitnessthe Pyramid of Fitness

Aerobic

Flexibility

Muscular

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CROSSTRAIN!CROSSTRAIN!

We must do different types of We must do different types of cardiovascular exercise for our bodies to cardiovascular exercise for our bodies to

be more efficientbe more efficient

CyclingCycling

SportsSports

TreadmillTreadmill

Crosstrainer or Elliptical Crosstrainer or Elliptical trainertrainer

TennisTennis

WalkingWalking

HikingHiking

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Resistance Training

• Two types– Strength: Lifting

heavier weights with a lower repetition

– Endurance: Lifting lighter weights with a higher repetition

– Both types are beneficial!

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FlexibilityFlexibility

Warm Up!Flexibility,

stretching is just as important as cardio and weights

Why? Injury prevention

Cool down!

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The Neuromuscular System and Exercise

Learned Reflexes• The knee-jerk and

crossed-extensor reflexes occur automatically and require no learning. Practice facilitates other more complex reflex patterns such as most sports performances or occupational tasks.

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Proprioceptors• Muscles, joints, and

tendons contain specialized sensory receptors sensitive to stretch, tension,and pressure. These end-organs (proprioceptors) rapidly relay information about muscular dynamic, limb position, and movement (I.e., kinesthesia and proprioception) to conscious and unconscious parts of the central nervous system for processing.

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Balance & Proprioception

DefinitionSense of joint position

Acts as a gyroscope of the bodyPrevents falls by sending

messages to your muscles and joints to hold a position or move according to the circumstance.

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Gaining Better Balance

•Core Strength

•Yoga•Pilates•Plyometrics

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WARM UP!WARM UP! Before ANY type of

workout we want to warm up!

We MUST get our bodies warm and ready for work!

Our muscles warm and start to borrow more blood from other organs

5-10 minutes on a treadmill or bike is sufficient, or sport specific

Stretch after your warm up holding each stretch for at least 15 seconds

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Cool Down

Prevents injuryRids muscles of waste productsReturns heart rate and blood pressure

to normal– The blood diverted to our active muscles needs to work it’s way back to where it was borrowed from.

Suggestions:Should last several minutes.Taper activityGently stretch for 10 minutes

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Water for lifeWater for life

WATERWe need at least

eight 8 oz glasses of water a day (64 ounces)

The human body can live weeks with out food, but only a few days with out water!

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Water and Exercise

How much is enough?2 cups one hour

before½ cup every 15

minutes of activity2 cups after the

completion of exercise

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Exercise/Work in Hot Weather

Heat and humidity combine to form dangerous conditions.

4 Concerns:DehydrationHeat CrampsHeat ExhaustionHeat Stroke

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Exercise/Work in Cold WeatherExercise/Work in Cold Weather

• Two Concerns:– Hypothermia

Danger: Low body temperatureSigns and Symptoms:

Shivering, exhaustionDisorientation, confusion Drowsiness Glassy Stare Slow irregular pulse

– FrostbiteDanger: Skin cold enough to freezeSigns and Symptoms:

Loss of feelingIn fingers, toes, ear lobes, nose

White or grayish – yellow skin areaSkin that feels unusually firm or waxy

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Basics Injury prevention tips for

runners/walkersTry:

Increase activity gradually.Run on soft, flat surfaces.Don’t run more than 45 miles per

week.Replace sneakers after 500 miles.

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Injury Prevention Tips

Increase intensity/duration gradually

Use proper techniqueUse appropriate equipmentCross-TrainDo not ignore aches/pains

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Treat Injuries the RICE Way!

Rest – avoid using affected area until pain-free

Ice – for 20 minutes at a time every few hours

Compression – pressure bandage to reduce swelling

Elevation – raise at or above heart level

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When to See Your Doctor

Injured limb/joint is deformedBroken skin over injury siteNumbness, tinglingInability to move area without painJoint feels unstableCan not bear weightSwelling

Does not improve within 48 hoursBegins within 30 minutes of injury

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Scenario #1

Jane is a 34 year-old administrative assistant for her town with the following history:

• Four days a week plays tennis• Past three weeks has noticed a throbbing, achy pain on outside of elbow. • Pain goes away with rest but flares up as soon as she plays again.

• The pain intensifies with each game she plays. What is Jane likely suffering from? What can she do at home to help the healing

process? Does she need to see her doctor

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Scenario #2

Jake is a 42 year-old construction worker. His job is strenuous so he does not exercise on a regular basis. During a pick-up basketball he

experiences the following:

• a popping sensation in the back of his leg just above his heel. • stops immediately, unable to move. • severe pain; felt like he was hit in the calf with a bat. • immediate swelling and unable to stand on the injured leg.

What happened to Jake? What should he do?

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Questions?

Thank You

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Sources

• US Department of Health and Human Services

• Essentials of Exercise Physiology, second edition

• American College of Sports Medicine, ACSM– Guidelines for Exercise Testing and

Prescription, seventh edition