One of the most common groups of patients that we see at the clinic are those that are dubbed a “Weekend Warrior”: someone who lives a relatively sedentary lifestyle that completes 1-2 days of exercise or sport weekly. Whether you are an office worker who participates in a weekly social basketball league, or retired person that enjoys a long bike ride on the weekends, you are at a higher risk of injury if you are a Weekend Warrior.
Why is the injury risk higher?
The first factor that plays into the increased injury risk is inadequate training throughout the week. Training is important for maintaining and improving many different physical attributes such as strength, cardiovascular fitness, balance, agility etc. If you go from being sedentary to doing to much activity, your body will not be adequately adapted to the increased load. By scheduling the higher intensity exercise within a 1-2 day window, there are still 5-6 days in the week where deconditioning can occur. Additionally, Weekend Warrior activity is most commonly seen in adults aged 35+, which may increase the susceptibility to injury.
Common Injuries in Weekend Warriors include:
· Lateral/Medial Epicondylalgia (Tennis/Golfer’s Elbow)
· Rotator Cuff Related Shoulder Pain
· Meniscus Injury
· Achilles Tendinopathy
· Calf and Hamstring strains
· Traumatic Injuries
Tips to help a Weekend Warrior
1) Add enjoyable training/exercise throughout the week
Adding as little as 10 minutes of exercise daily throughout the week will give Weekend Warriors some benefit. Consistent and task-specific training will yield the best injury prevention results. Make sure that the exercise is something that is enjoyable and manageable for your lifestyle.
2) Make sure to warm up properly
Warm-ups are often overlooked, however, is crucial in preparing the body for physical activity. Good warm-ups will increase the mobility of your joints, increase blood flow to muscles during the exercise, and gradually increase body temperature.
3) Seek assistance early if there are any niggles or issues
Often there is a delay in reporting injuries in Weekend Warriors as the symptoms may be inconsistent or only present once a week when performing the sport. Staying on top of injuries and concerns early leads to improved outcomes and a faster recovery.
The Movement Workshop Physiotherapy is dedicated to getting all of our patients back to doing the activities that they love. If you are a Weekend Warrior with an injury or concern, please feel free to reach out.
References:
Gil, J. A., & Weiss, A. P. C. (2020). The weekend warrior: common hand and wrist injuries in athletes. Rhode Island Medical Journal, 103(7), 49-53.
Hartnett, D. A., Milner, J. D., & DeFroda, S. F. (2022). The Weekend Warrior: Common Shoulder and Elbow Injuries in the Recreational Athlete. The American Journal of Medicine, 135(3), 297-301.
Shiroma, E. J., Lee, I. M., Schepps, M. A., Kamada, M., & Harris, T. B. (2019). Physical activity patterns and mortality: the weekend warrior and activity bouts. Medicine and science in sports and exercise, 51(1), 35.