Hi friends,

I hope you’ve been enjoying the Paris Olympics as much as I have. Even if I don’t understand a sport, I still appreciate watching the best athletes in the world compete on the biggest stage.

But we need to remember that most people are not Olympic athletes. Just because Simone Biles can perform never-seen-before techniques doesn’t mean that you should try a back handspring.

But in all seriousness, orthopedic physical therapists are the most busy in the summer because many people try to do too much of an activity, too quickly, and with too little rest.

Many of the injuries that I treat occur because of this reason and therefore likely could have been prevented with proper training.

You don’t need an elaborate Excel spreadsheet to calculate your weekly running mileage, or reps in the gym. But you do need to know when you’ve done too much with too little rest.

If you’re trying to get into a new sport or activity, start very easy with something that you think your body can tolerate well. Then bump up the total time or intensity gradually in the following weeks until you’ve built your body up to tolerate the stress and load that the activity requires.

Don’t go out and play a 4-hour tennis match or sprint 100 meters if you’ve been relatively inactive the past few months.

The human body is remarkable in what it’s able to achieve, but to achieve magnificent feats, it needs to be properly trained and prepared for the moment.

The body adapts to the demands placed on it, so be intentional with your training and stay healthy!

Until next week,

Kevin