Weekend Warrior, Or Week Long Recovery

Weekend warriors spend their entire work week salivating over the idea of the approaching weekend. A tennis match, a long distance run, scuba diving or whatever tickles their fancy. The truth is - these weekend warriors are often in for a week long recovery.

Do me a favor, next time you stand up from your desk after an 8 hour work day take note of how your body feels. Maybe your muscles feel tight, maybe you feel slightly unstable. Let’s face it, we are all exhausted. Now, go for a run! Not really, but your body is not prepared for this burst of high intensity exercise. There is a high likelihood of injury.

So let's start with the most obvious, but often overlooked, way to prevent injury: Move more! My friends it’s that simple. To break it down even further, here are a few ways a weekend warrior can prevent injury:

1) Start out by having a fitness professional take you through a functional movement screen. If there are any concerns regarding your movement it can be addressed prior to heavy weekend activity. Stop injury before it happens.

2) Progression is a critical part of any well thought out exercise program. Lack of progression can load the muscle too fast and too often, causing injury. Take time during the week to work on your program; that way when the weekend comes you have progressed safely.

3) Maintaining healthy muscle tissue is very important. Foam rolling large muscle groups is always recommended before your workouts. This can reduce the amount of adhesion on the muscle, allow for better range of motion and improve the overall quality of your workouts.

4) Lastly, maintain a healthy diet and stay hydrated. If your nutrition is poor and your energy low, how can you expect to stay alert and focused during rigorous exercise?

There is absolutely nothing wrong with weekend workouts. Just remember, proper planning of your weekday and your weekend workouts will keep you injury free, and your body happy.