Oh! Those Monday Morning Blues: The Weekend Warrior Syndrome

What is that sound of agony you’re hearing? If it’s your husband, wife, friend, neighbor, or even yourself groaning with each move on Monday, it’s likely that he or she is — or you are — suffering from Weekend Warrior Syndrome (WWS).

A weekend warrior (WW) is someone who does little or no activity during the week, but on the weekend does too much, too hard, for too long. The syndrome is also seen in people who restart their usual activity after knocking off for a period of time.

It’s a fact that health clubs and sports fields are busier on weekends than during the week, especially in the spring. And springtime brings out people for gardening and other warm-weather chores they didn’t do during cooler weather.

WWS happens so often during the warmer weather months that it’s often a topic of jokes and joshing. Like teasing an office mate who spent the weekend playing tennis and, on Monday, can’t stand up at his desk without wincing.

WWS is no laughing matter. It can result in painful, serious, sometimes permanent, injuries. Fortunately, preventing it is fairly simple. By following the tips in this Active Living article, you can enjoy those warm-weather activities without paying the pain price the next day.

This Active Living article gives you some tips on how not to be a victim of WWS.

• It gives you tips on preventing WWS.
• It tells you what to do if you do hurt yourself.

No Pain, No Gain?

Serious bodybuilders sometimes say this. But you’ll probably agree that applying it to your activities is just plain silly. Pain is the body’s signal that something is wrong! Your goal should be to avoid it.

Here are some of the most common injuries and pains a WW can suffer:

• Strain: Overstretching and, in the worse case, tearing muscles or tendons (tendons connect muscle to bone). If you’ve ever been told you pulled a muscle, you really had a muscle strain. Muscle strain can result in painful movement, swelling, and maybe even deep bruising.
• Sprain: Stretching or tearing ligaments (ligaments attach bone to bone). You’ve certainly heard of professional athletes who “blew out their knee.” What they’ve done is tear an important knee-stabilizing ligament — a serious sprain. Sprains can cause pain, swelling, bruising, even loss of movement.

Take Steps to Prevent Injury

These suggestions can help you prevent WWS:

• Be active year-round.
• Whatever your activity program includes, add different types of exercise. This cross-training helps because different types of activities work different muscles, increasing overall fitness (see your Week 5 Active Living article).
• Don’t forget to stretch. Stretching every day helps keep you flexible. Stretching before and after activity may help keep you injury-free (see your Week 4 Active Living article).
• Warm up before exercising. Cold muscles are more prone to injury.
• Wear appropriate shoes for the activity (see your Week 2 Active Living article).

The RICE Cure

If, in spite of all your precautions, you injure yourself, call your doctor and immediately do the following:

• Rest. Stop doing the activity that caused the injury.
• Ice. Unless the area is already numb, apply ice to the injured area for 20 to 30 minutes. Don’t apply ice directly to skin; wrap it in a towel, or use a ready-made ice pack.
• Compression. Elastic bandages can help reduce swelling.
• Elevate. If you can, elevate the injured part to help reduce swelling.

Your Turn

Write down those tips that you think will be most helpful for you to prevent WWS:

Summary

• The best way to prevent WWS is to stay active all year long.
• Cross-train.
• Stretch.
• Wear the right shoes.