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DO YOU EXERCISE
regularly?
Are you involved in team sports
or physical activities? Is it spread
over the course of your week, or
are you able to participate only on
weekends?
The Centers for Disease Control
and Prevention (CDC) recommends
that adults get at least 2½ hours per
week of moderate-intensity aerobic
activity, such as walking; or 1¼ hours
per week of vigorous-intensity
aerobic activity, such as jogging; or a
Weekend warriors
combination of both. Adults should
also do muscle-strengthening
activities involving all major muscle
groups two or more days each
week—activities such as pushups,
situps, or exercise using resistance
bands or weights.
“Regular exercise helps improve
overall health and fitness and
reduces the risk for many chronic
diseases,” says Clinton Ray, MD,
orthopedist at Regional Medical
Center.
Yet only about 20 percent of
Americans satisfy the CDC’s recom-
mendations for weekly activity. Based
on life, work and family demands,
many of us have limited time to
participate in physical activities or
sports, and we try to squeeze it in
on our days off, only on weekends—
thus the title
weekend warrior
.
“Sporadic physical activity does
provide some health benefits, but
there is also greater risk for injury,”
Dr. Ray says.
Often, weekend warriors
experience aches and pains or even
more serious acute injuries, such as
muscle strains or tendon injuries.
Common injuries include sprained
ankles, shin splints, rotator cuff
injuries, Achilles tendinitis, golf or
tennis elbow, plantar fasciitis, and
knee or low-back pain.
Sources: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention; National
Institutes of Health
STAYING WELL
week·end
war·ri·or (noun)
a person who participates
in an activity only in his/her
spare time
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Regional Medical Center