‘Warm Up, Start Slow, Take Breaks and Pace Your Work’

As temperatures continue their slow climb upward, more people are getting out and enjoying outdoor activities ranging from running, biking, golf and pickleball to walking, gardening, yard work and simply playing in the yard with the kids or grandkids.

Whatever level of physical activity people choose to engage, Nicole Fields, a nurse practitioner with ThedaCare Orthopedic Walk-in Care Oshkosh, advises those enjoying the outdoors to ease back into an active lifestyle, especially if they’ve been mostly sedentary over the past few months.

Nicole Fields

“In our enthusiasm to get back outdoors, it can be easy to overlook the risk of injury that can result from taking on too much too quickly,” she said. “If you cut back on your activity over the winter months, it’s important to ease back in to a more active lifestyle.”

That includes seemingly less physical and equally popular activities like gardening and yard work, Fields said.

“These activities can involve a lot of lifting, bending, twisting, kneeling and repetitive motions,” she said. “This can lead to shoulder, knee and lower back injuries. Like any activity, it’s important to warm up, start slow, take breaks and pace your work.”

Regardless of the physical activity, it’s important to warm up the joints, muscles and cardiovascular system, Fields said.

“Most musculoskeletal injuries happen often because of overuse, poor form, lack of warming up, making a sudden movement or failure to wear or use the proper equipment,” she said. “Warming up may help a person avoid such injuries.”

Injury Avoidance

Field offered tips for avoiding injury while gardening and doing yard work:

• Warm up with gentle movements: Try neck rolls, shoulder circles and arm and leg stretches.
• Lift with the legs, not the back: Bend the knees, keep the back straight and avoid twisting. Hold objects close to the body. Recruit help when moving or lifting heavy items.
• Vary positions: Avoid staying in the same position for too long. The body will usually signal when it’s time to switch it up.
• Build in breaks: Don’t try to do everything at once. Chunk large jobs into smaller, manageable tasks.
• Don’t push through pain: Pay attention to any pain or discomfort and don’t overdo it. If experiencing pain, stop and rest. Pushing through pain may lead to more serious injuries.

Fields offered additional suggestions for returning to a generally active outdoors lifestyle. She advised people to stay hydrated, protect skin from sunlight, wear proper footwear for the activity in which they’re participating and apply insect repellant if they’re working in the yard or hiking.

When to Seek Care

Even with precautions in place, injuries may occur, Fields said. If that happens, it’s OK to start with home care measures for many aches and pains.

For musculoskeletal injuries, the RICE protocol is a good first line of treatment, Fields said. That involves:

• Rest: Give the body a chance to heal and repair.
• Ice: Apply ice to the affected area for 10-minute intervals.
• Compression: Wrap a cloth or compression bandage around injuries to apply gentle pressure to the area.
• Elevation: Rest the injured body part at an elevated level, if possible, above the level of the heart.

Fields encouraged people to seek medical care if they experience an injury that doesn’t improve after a few days with home care measures, causes persistent joint pain, is marked by swelling that doesn’t go down, results in loss of motion or is accompanied by pain that worsens with activity.

“When in doubt, it’s always a good idea to get checked out,” she said. “ThedaCare Orthopedic Walk-In Care is an option. It’s a no-appointment-needed option for injury evaluation and care.”

The walk-in clinic offers onsite imaging, tailored treatment and recovery plans and coordination of any needed referrals or follow-ups. Walk-in care is available seven days a week in Appleton and weekdays in Oshkosh.

“Getting outdoors, enjoying fresh air and communing with nature are good for our physical and mental health,” Fields said. “I encourage everyone to find an activity they can enjoy outdoors. Start slowly, pace yourself and rest when you’re tired. Then, look forward to a summer of fun.”

For more information, visit ThedaCare Orthopedic Care for care options.

About ThedaCare

For more than 115 years, ThedaCare® has been improving the health and well-being of the communities it serves in northeast and central Wisconsin. The organization delivers care to more than 650,000 residents in 17 counties, and employs approximately 7,000 providers and team members at 180 points of care, including 10 hospitals. As an organization committed to being a leader in Population Health, team members are dedicated to empowering people to live their unique, best lives. ThedaCare is a not-for-profit health system with a level II trauma center, comprehensive cancer treatment, stroke and cardiac programs, as well as primary care. ThedaCare also partners with communities to understand needs, find solutions together, and encourage health awareness and action. ThedaCare is part of Froedtert ThedaCare, Wisconsin’s most comprehensive health care system.