7 Strategies for Preventing Summer Sports Injuries

July 10, 2022

Eliza Pierko, MD

The warmth of summer is a welcome relief to the long, cold Chicago winter. People everywhere are emerging from indoors to enjoy the fresh air and their favorite activities. For many, that means hitting the pavement, pool, court or park.

Sports medicine specialist, Eliza Pierko, MD, says she sees a significant jump in sports injuries in the summer. “People often lose strength and flexibility over the winter due to inactivity,” she says. “When the warmer weather arrives, they do too much too soon and end up with an injury.”

Common summer sport injury types

According to Dr. Pierko, the most common summer sports injuries are:

Sprain and strain injuries

A sprain is a stretching or tearing of a ligament. Ligaments are strips of strong but elastic connective tissue that hold your bones together at the joints. You can sprain any joint, but the most frequent types of sprains occur in the:

A strain is another term for a pulled muscle. Some common locations for muscle strains include:

Back
Calves
Hamstrings

Overuse injuries

Overuse injuries happen when people stress their body without taking a break or continue to exercise when in pain. Overuse can cause inflammation of muscles or tendons that connect muscles to bones. It can also lead to bone fractures.

Common overuse injuries include:

Achilles tendonitis in the tendon that connects your calf muscle to your heel
Rotator cuff tendonitis in the tendons in your shoulder
Runner’s knee in the tendons that help support your kneecap
Shin splints in muscles and tendons around your shin bones
Stress fractures, often in the feet, shins or pelvic bones
Tennis and golfer’s elbow in the tendons on the outside or inside of your elbow

Concussions

A concussion is a brain injury caused by a blow to the head. Dr. Pierko sees concussions most often in children and young adults who play contact sports. Playing lacrosse, soccer, football and even baseball can increase your child’s risk of a concussion.

7 tips to prevent summer sports injuries

Whether you are training for a race or exercising to stay in shape, there are many things you can do to avoid injury. “What’s most important is to listen to your body,” says Dr. Pierko. “Injuries usually occur when you push yourself too hard and ignore what your body needs.”

Here are Dr. Pierko’s top seven tips to help you stay healthy this summer:

Prevention tip #1: Start slow

After a period of inactivity, your body won’t get back into shape overnight. “You need to be patient and increase your activity gradually,” says Dr. Pierko. “This will help you establish a good foundation so you can stay injury-free.”

Prevention tip #2: Warm up and cool down properly

Dr. Pierko recommends incorporating stretching at the start and end of every workout. As a runner, she prefers dynamic stretches to warm up and traditional static stretches to cool down.

Dynamic stretching consists of moving stretches that help get your blood pumping while warming up your muscles, ligaments and tendons. Examples of dynamic stretches include:

Arm circles
Knee lifts
Leg swings
Lunges
Plank walk-outs
Upper body twists

Static stretching is when you stretch and hold. These types of stretches can help prevent injuries by improving your flexibility. To stretch properly, move until you feel a slight pull in your muscle. Then hold that position for 30 to 60 seconds.

Prevention tip #3: Wear properly fitted protective gear

Protective gear that fits well can help prevent or reduce injuries. Whether it’s team sports, martial arts or bicycling, it’s essential to wear the appropriate protective gear at all times.

The fit of the gear is also important. Poorly fitting equipment can be a safety hazard, especially if you can’t see or move properly. When purchasing gear, have an expert help you select the right size and design for your body. You can also ask a coach for help making sure your gear fits properly.

Prevention Tip #4: Incorporate cross-training into your routine

If you are a serious athlete, cross-training can be an effective way to reduce overuse injuries. It involves adding in other types of exercise to activate a different set of muscles. For example, if you are a runner, take a day or two out of your running schedule to do something else, like swimming or biking.

“Cross-training is especially important for kids,” says Dr. Pierko. “They should be involved in a variety of activities that help them develop and strengthen different muscle groups.”

Prevention Tip #5: Rest and sleep

Your body needs rest to recover from a workout. Building rest days into your workout schedule and getting enough sleep each night can help prevent injuries.

And if you have any lingering pain, rest can help you heal. “The old saying ‘no pain, no gain’ can be very damaging and lead to injuries,” Dr. Pierko says. “Your workouts shouldn’t be about pushing through your pain. It’s much safer to create balance in what and how much you do.”

Prevention Tip #6: Stay hydrated

The majority of your body is water. Your brain, muscles and all your organs need water to function properly.

Dehydration can cause heat-related injuries such as heat stroke. It can also cause cramping that can lead to muscle and tendon injuries. But for some runners, overhydration may also be dangerous.

The amount of water you should drink when you exercise varies by the individual. Dr. Pierko recommends searching online for hydration charts, such as this one from Runner’s World. These charts show how much water you need during exercise based on your weight, age and the outdoor temperature.

Prevention Tip #7: Eat a healthy diet

A balanced diet rich in healthy grains, fruits, vegetables and lean proteins fuels your body for exercise and lowers your risk of injury. It also improves recovery time and allows you to heal more quickly from a strain or sprain.

When should you see a doctor for a summer sports injury?

For minor strains and sprains, Dr. Pierko recommends starting with at-home treatments such as RICE:

Rest
Ice
Compression
Elevation

You can also try over-the-counter medications such as acetaminophen or ibuprofen to help with pain and minor swelling. “But you shouldn’t take these medications and then continue your workout,” says Dr. Pierko. “Pain is the signal that you should rest.”

If a strain or sprain lasts longer than a week, it’s time to call your doctor.

But for more serious injuries, especially those involving ligaments or stress fractures, don’t wait that long. Signs you should call your doctor right away include:

Pain and swelling that does not respond to over-the-counter acetaminophen or ibuprofen
Popping sound followed by pain
Repeat injury
Severe pain that prevents you from walking or moving

Sports medicine care at Loyola Medicine

Loyola Medicine's sports medicine specialists provide comprehensive, personalized care for all ages. Our doctors work with many local professional, college and high school teams and have years of experience treating all types of sports injuries.

You’ll find clinics conveniently located at:

To make an appointment today, call 888-584-7888 or schedule an appointment online.

Eliza Pierko, MD, is a sports medicine physician at Loyola Medicine. She is board certified in internal medicine and sports medicine. A runner herself, she is passionate about helping women endurance athletes get back safely to their sport after an injury. She is known for her expertise in trigger point injections in addition to ultrasound-guided cortisone and hyaluronic acid injections.

Dr. Pierko received her medical degree from the Medical University of Bialystok. She completed her residency at Presence Saint Joseph Hospital and fellowship at MacNeal Hospital.

Book an appointment today to see one of Loyola Medicine’s sports medicine physicians by self-scheduling an in-person or virtual appointment using myLoyola.