Dangers of Being a Weekend Warrior
June 18th, 2013We often jokingly call ourselves “Weekend Warriors” if we are mainly sedentary from Monday to Friday and engage in strenuous athletic activity on Saturday and Sunday. While this may sound like a good way to get the benefits of exercise, this is also a good way to get injured. In my practice, I have seen several patients hobble into my office on a Monday morning with a sprained ankle, shin splints, or fatigue from dehydration. While some of them are caused by accidents, many of them are caused by overexerting themselves. Our bodies are finely tuned machines and they need to be maintained regularly. Think of an athlete in any professional sport. During the off season, they still need to do training.
Think about your typical workday. You wake up, you eat breakfast and commute to work. During the work day, most of us are sitting at our computers for more than 10 hours with very little time away. At the end of the day, you get back in the car or train and head back home for dinner. Very few of us get exercise during the work week. Some people feel guilty about this and feel they need to “make it up” on the weekends, so they engage in extra rounds of tennis or run extra long distances. This can cause injuries that can sometimes be severe such a muscle or ligament tears.
The best way to avoid injury is to become a “Weekend AND Weekday Warrior”. What I mean by this is to incorporate some type of exercise at least 2-3 times a week. I would recommend a type of exercise that works out muscle groups that complement the muscles used on the weekends or perhaps use the muscles in a different way. For example, many professional football players used to take ballet to increase their agility and balance. If you do a lot of running, perhaps take a spinning (cycling) class or swim a few laps during the week. In fact, you may notice your running time may actually improve with the “cross-training” during the week and you will feel less fatigue. Even some simple 15-20 minutes of stretching or yoga before bedtime can help you tremendously.
Diet is also very important for the Weekend Warrior. I believe strongly that the body is like a car; the fuel that you put in is very important. You need good quality “fuel” in the form of a low fat, low carbohydrate, high protein, and high fiber diet. Fruits and vegetables which are high in antioxidants, such as those with bright colors (blueberries, raspberries, cherries, kale, tomatoes, carrots, etc.), are also important to incorporate into your diet. Limit your alcohol intake. Alcohol is known to cause decreased absorption of many vitamins and minerals including Vit B and calcium, both of which are very important to the athlete’s body.
When I think of the term “Warrior” I often think of the Spartans. In ancient Greece, Sparta was known for its tradition of training soldiers in a harsh manner so they would “toughen up” and be prepared for pain during battle. The soldiers were often told to ignore the pain. Needless to say, the Spartans, as intimidating as they were, lost many battles to the Athenians. The lesson from the Spartans: Don’t ignore the pain! Pain in your body means something is inflamed or injured. It is your body’s way of saying stop what you’re doing or you’re going to get hurt, like the pain you feel when you accidentally touched a hot stove. Your hand pulls away. When you are playing a sport or working out, if you feel pain, stop immediately. If you continue, you may end up with a torn ligament or muscle. After the game or workout, you may need to ice the area, apply a compress such as a knee brace or ace bandage, and elevate the area with a pillow. Most importantly, make sure to rest the muscle or joint. Do not attempt to do the activity the next day! That’s when serious injuries can occur.
There are many benefits to exercise including feeling better, lowering your risks of cardiovascular disease, losing weight, and getting better sleep. 30 minutes per day is ideal, but trying to squeeze in all the exercise in 2 days every week is not and could be possibly dangerous. So be an “Everyday Warrior”, and not a “Weekend Warrior”.
