How to prevent injury during summer sports season 

Why summer sports strain your body and the "rule of too"

One of the biggest drivers of injury is what clinicians sometimes call the rule of too: too much, too soon or too hard. When we strain or injure our muscles and tendons, it is usually because we have overloaded or overstressed those tissues. 

The two main patterns of overload include: 

1. Peak load intolerance, where a single intense effort exceeds what your muscles and tendons can handle 
2. Sustained or repetitive load intolerance, where a lower-intensity movement is repeated so often that fatigue builds up 

A classic example of peak load intolerance is the recreational player who has not warmed up, then sprints full-out for a ball and pulls a hamstring. They have broken the “too hard” and “too soon” rules in one moment. 

Sustained load intolerance looks different. Imagine lifting a pen with your right arm. Doing these 10 or 20 times is easy. Being asked to do it 1,000 times is another story. The same principle applies to repetitive strokes in kayaking or the repeated swings of a pickleball match. Over time, fatigue accumulates in muscles and tendons and can set the stage for injury. 

Why cottage and summer sports feel different

Cottage sports are often a sharp departure from our usual movement patterns. 

We might spend much of the week sitting, then ask our bodies to: 

• Rotate explosively through the spine and hips for a golf or tennis swing 
• Balance on an unstable surface while paddleboarding 
• Perform repeated overhead movements while swimming or kayaking 

Lim points out that this mismatch between daily life and weekend demands is a key reason people are more likely to get injured from cottage activities. Poor posture during the workweek can also increase injury severity once you start moving more vigorously. “If your body has been in one position for most of the day, you cannot expect it to suddenly perform like a high-level athlete,” says Lim.  “You have to give it a chance to warm up and the time to adapt.” 

Functional movement: your best summer insurance

Lim frames injury prevention around what he calls the four pillars of healthy joints: flexibility, mobility, stability and strength. 

• Flexibility refers to how far a muscle can lengthen 
• Mobility is the ability of a joint to move through its full range of motion 
• Stability is your capacity to control that motion 
• Strength is the force your muscles can generate 

When these four pillars are in balance, your joints are better prepared to handle the demands of sports like pickleball, tennis, golf, paddleboarding, swimming and kayaking. When one pillar is lacking, other tissues often compensate, which can increase injury risk. “Think of it like a table,” says Lim. “If one leg is shorter than the others, the whole table wobbles. Your joints are the same way.” 

Functional movement training uses these four pillars as it focuses on patterns that mirror real-life and sport-specific actions. Instead of isolating a single muscle, you practise coordinated movements that involve multiple joints, such as squatting, hinging at the hips, rotating through the torso or stabilizing your core while your limbs move. 

Lim often recommends that clients prepare for summer sports by practising the same types of movements they will use on the court, in the water or on the trail. “If you know you are going to be playing pickleball, do some light lateral shuffles and practice swings before you go all out,” he says. “If you are planning to paddle, spend a few minutes waking up your core and shoulders with controlled rotations.”

Making injury prevention personal

Recognize your starting point 

If you have been less active over the winter or spring, your tissues will have a lower tolerance for sudden load. If it has been longer than a month since you engaged in your chosen vigorous activity, you should take even longer to get your body back up to its previous level. 

That means being honest about your current baseline. If you used to run 10 kilometres or lift heavy weights, but have taken a long break, your body will not immediately tolerate the same volume or intensity. Trying to jump straight back to old numbers is a common way to break the rule of too. 

Why a proper warmup matters more as you age 

Dynamic warmups are not just for competitive athletes. As you age, tissues respond more slowly to load because cellular repair processes, protein synthesis, and blood flow all decline, while connective tissues become stiffer and less responsive to stress. The body takes longer to adapt to physical demands and repair. Therefore, a warmup that includes shoulder, hip and knee rolls, arm swings and leg swings helps prepare muscles and joints for the demands ahead. 

After this dynamic phase, add gentle stretching to any area that feels tight or stiff. Only then do you progress to more vigorous, game-like movements such as light sprinting, changes of direction or practice swings. This layered approach helps bridge the gap between rest and full effort. 

4 practical steps to protect yourself this summer

Step 1: Start with a dynamic warmup 

Before you pick up a paddle or step onto a court, spend a few minutes on a dynamic warmup, which is a moving warmup rather than static stretching. Consider: 

1. Performing movements like shoulder, hip and knee rolls, arm swings and leg swings 
2. Adding targeted gentle stretching if anything feels tight or stiff 
3. Progressing to more vigorous, sport-specific actions such as short sprints, changes of direction or bat swings 

These movements gradually increase blood flow, wake up your nervous system and prepare your tissues for higher loads. As Lim puts it, “Your warmup should look like a slower, lighter version of what you are about to do. That is how you tell your body what is coming.” 

Step 2: Build up effort and volume gradually 

When returning to an activity, it is important to manage both how hard you work and how much you do. A common cause of injury is doing too much, too soon, before your body has re-established its tolerance. 

A more practical approach is to engage at approximately 50 to 60% of your usual effort and volume on your first day back (for example, your first swim, run or game).  Then, over the next two or three times you do that same activity, gradually increase toward your typical level.  

If you are returning to resistance training, this may mean starting with about 50% of your previous load and number of exercises. Meanwhile, for running or similar activities, you might begin with 50% of your previous distance or duration then alternate between periods of running and walking. 

Additionally, you’ll want to incorporate at least one day of recovery between each of these efforts. Take a longer ramp-up period if you have been inactive for more than a month. This approach helps manage both intensity and cumulative load, reducing the likelihood of overloading tissues that are still adapting. 

Step 3: Integrate functional movements for your sport 

Different sports place different demands on the body and should be considered accordingly. For example: 

• Pickleball and tennis involve repeated lateral movements and rotational swings 
• Golf requires controlled rotation through the spine and hips 
• Paddleboarding challenges balance and core stability 
• Swimming and kayaking demand repeated upper-body and trunk movements 

Functional movements that mimic these patterns can help prepare your joints and tissues. The principle here is to practise the movement patterns you will use, at lower intensity, before you ask your body to perform them at full speed or for long durations. 

Step 4: Pay attention to posture and everyday habits 

Lim cautions that poor posture can increase injury severity. If you spend much of your day sitting, your shoulders, hips and spine may not be in an ideal position when you suddenly start swinging a racquet or paddling a kayak. 

Integrating brief movement breaks into your day, and being mindful of how you sit and stand, can support the four pillars of flexibility, mobility, stability and strength. That way, when summer sports season arrives, your body is not starting from zero. “Little things you do Monday to Friday really add up,” says Lim. “Short walks, stretch breaks and changing positions can make your weekend activities feel a lot easier and safer.” 

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