Avoid The Summer Bummer
With summer approaching, I thought it’d be a good idea to address common summer injuries. Although we’ve covered one or two of these in the past, I still think they’re worth repeating. Here are three summer bummers you can avoid: SPRAINS AND STRAINS That impromptu game of tennis, basketball, or softball seems harmless at first, but tight — and let’s say ... experienced — muscles are less flexible. This means a little bit of warm up goes a long way. So before jumping into the pool or playing a match, do some lunge stretching or make circles with your arms and legs. Spending 5 mins doing some full-range-of-motion stretching is simple injury prevention. DEHYDRATION Right up there with the pre-game stretch is hydration. As temperatures rise, so does the number of buckets of sweat we produce every day. Dehydration not only causes muscle cramps, nausea, and dizziness, but it can also mean a visit to the hospital after straining a dehydrated muscle or fainting and causing any other type of fall-related injury. The average male should have 15 cups of water, and the average female should have 11 cups. Now, these are approximations. This means if you’re shooting for 11-15, but only have eight, that’s probably more cups of just water in your system than you’d normally drink if you didn’t make the effort. Remember, food has water, too, but at least 75 percent of your water intake should be pure, stand-alone water. FLIP-FLOP FLOPS Sure, those flip-flops are light and airy, and they make you feel like you’re truly in the summer mood, but let’s talk about something. The average flip-flop does nothing for arch support and is purely held on to your foot by your toes. In addition to the potential for shin splints and plantar fasciitis, the occasional trip over your own flip-flop is an easy ticket to injury. Leave the traditional flip-flops to the beach, the pool, or the gym locker room. Go, instead, for the floppy flip-flops or sandals that wrap around the heel or the midfoot and have some kind of arch support. Google orthopedic flip-flops, and you’ll find stylish, affordable, and safe foot gear for summer 2017. If you follow these tips, you’re less likely to have an injury this summer. And when you’re new to life after your 20s and your cousin is making fun of you for stretching, drinking water, and wearing those sensible Birkenstocks, give him our number.
