April 5, 2026: The injury I see every April
Here's what happens every time you work out or play sports. Your tissues literally break down.
Micro-tears occur in your muscles, and fatigue accumulates. This damage sends a signal to your body to send resources to those areas, repair the tissue, and rebuild it even stronger for the next workout.
But that adaptation process takes time. If you don't give your body the recovery it needs between sessions, the damage accumulates faster than the repair can happen. That's when injury strikes.
The best way to prevent an early-season flare-up is to start slowly and build gradually.
If you're getting back into running, start with just 10-minute sessions a couple of times a week. Add five minutes the following week. Keep building incrementally until you reach your goal distance or time.
If you're picking up tennis again, play one set instead of three. Let your body adapt before you commit to a full match or tournament.
This gradual ramp-up gives your tissues time to recover and build strength between sessions.
Slow and steady wins the race. And the race is staying healthy so you're able to stay in it for the long haul.
Until next week,
Kevin
✍️ Quote I’m reflecting upon
“The difference between an adventure and a disaster is attitude.”
Hi friends,
As the weather gets warmer, the PT clinic gets busier.
Many injuries that happen this time of year could be prevented with a proper loading program.
That means starting with a little exposure to a specific activity, then building up slowly over time.
Even if you played tennis or ran consistently last fall, your body doesn't remember. If you try to pick up where you left off after months away, you're asking your bones, muscles, tendons, and ligaments to handle a load they're no longer prepared for.
When you do more activity than your tissues can handle, injury follows.
