Kush Patel, MD, is a board-certified sports medicine physician at Inova. He is passionate about helping athletes at all levels, from adolescents and high school students to collegiate and professional athletes to active adults.
Winter is finally relinquishing its grip. And with that first mild breeze, many people begin looking forward to getting back to outdoor sports. Whether it’s hitting the tennis, pickleball, and basketball courts, returning to the golf course, or gearing up for soccer, baseball, and other youth sports, the excitement to be active again is undeniable.
However, after months of relative inactivity, it’s important to ease back in carefully. Doing too much too soon can significantly increase the risk of a sports injury, especially for recreational athletes and kids returning to their sports after some time off.
Here are some of the key approaches I use with the athletes I treat to help them prepare for an injury-free spring sports season. Whether you’re an elite athlete or just someone who likes to play sports for fun, these tips can help you prepare your body and mind for an active and healthy spring sports season.
Lower Your Risk of Sports Injury
Common injuries associated with spring sports — and sports of all kinds — range from traumatic injuries like sprains, fractures, and damage to tendons and ligaments to overuse injuries like muscle strains and tendonitis (including tennis elbow or golfer’s elbow). In both cases, as the saying goes, “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.”
I encourage my patients to take a strategic approach to sports season preparation and injury prevention that incorporates three main phases: the off season, the preseason, and the season itself.
Sports Injury Prevention in the Off Season
In the off season, conditioning is a major focus. Because you don’t have regular practice time or weekly games on the court or the course, it’s a great time to focus on getting stronger and developing your skills. You can take time to invest in your skills so you can come back better than you were last season.
It’s also time to rest. It’s not possible, or even advisable, to push yourself 100 percent of the time. The off season gives you time to fully recover from nagging injuries you sustained during the previous season, decreasing your injury risk for next season. Devoting time to resting refills your well of energy and resilience, both physically and mentally, so those reserves will be there when you need them during the active season.
Speaking of the mental aspect of sports performance, the off season is the ideal time to reflect. What goals do you have for the upcoming season? What are the next things you want to achieve as an athlete, and what steps do you need to take to get there? What will success look like for you as an athlete? This is a great way to reduce burnout risk and boost mental resilience, both of which can make you more focused and, as a result, less injury prone.
Preseason: Get Ready, Get Set
As you look to the preseason, it’s time to gradually ramp up your activity level to avoid sudden stress on your muscles and joints. You want to focus on your strength, flexibility, mobility, and cardiovascular health.
Preseason is also a good time to work on the fundamental skills that are the building blocks of your sport. Fine tune your backhand, your free throw technique, and your swing. During the season, you’re pushing at 100 percent, so you often don’t get the time to break your position down into its skill components. It’s wise to think about it now. For example, you may want to work on your coordination, dexterity, footwork, or throwing mechanics. Learning from your body’s feedback loop enables you to address muscle imbalances and have better conditioning, decreasing injury risk.
To avoid overtraining, it can be a good idea to take some time away from your primary sport and engage in a different sport. This enables you to become a more well-rounded athlete. It can also be helpful to switch between individual sports and team sports, each of which has its own lessons to teach.
Active Season Kickoff
As the season gets underway, you should be well conditioned. If you’re in a specific league or program, you’re likely working with coaches and athletic trainers, who are defining your workouts and role during games. If you’re an adult who just likes to stay active with tennis, golf, pickleball, basketball or running, these tips are even more important because you’re responsible for your own injury prevention routine.
On a daily basis, it’s important to be warming up and cooling down. Warmups can involve some stretching, but they should also involve dynamic warmups using lighter versions of the movements you’ll be doing during the game. This gets your body ready for those explosive movements. Too much static stretching when muscles are cold can increase injury risk. Warmups are a good time for mental preparation before a game, getting your mindset in the proper place. This helps with performance and can reduce injury risk.
Cooling down is just as important. Your heart rate is high during that exertion period during the game. Cooling down brings that rate back down and gets your body into tissue-repair mode.
Hydration and nutrition are especially important during the season. You’re exerting more, so your macronutrient and caloric needs are higher. Hydration is key to regulating body temperature, avoiding cramping and boosting energy levels so you can thrive on and off the field.
What about managing soreness or nagging pain during the season? There is no one answer to this question, since so much depends on the specifics of the soreness. My advice is if something doesn’t feel right, speak up. Talk to your healthcare provider, who has the expertise to evaluate your symptoms. Don’t push through pain.
Some athletes are afraid that seeing a sports medicine specialist will mean they’ll be taken out of play. But in fact, we want to see you back on the field, court, or course as quickly as possible. We’re there to work with people right away, giving them the advice and treatment they need, so they can keep going and be the best version of themselves.
Key Resources
Inova Sports Medicine is a great resource for athletes at all skill levels. We offer a range of services, and we are committed to seeing patients quickly. From pros to weekend warriors, we’ll get you taken care of.
A strategic approach to injury prevention begins in the off season and continues throughout preseason and beyond. No matter what sport you play, there is a lot you can do to reduce your risk of being injured so you can stay in the game you enjoy all season long. If you do face an injury, whether it happens suddenly or comes on gradually, consult a sports medicine professional for personalized advice. Learn more about Inova’s sports medicine capabilities.
Feature image, stock.adobe.com
