Spring Into Action Safely: Orthopedic Tips for Getting Back Outside

After a long New England winter, there is nothing quite like stepping back outside whether that means lacing up your running shoes, pulling weeds in the garden, or swinging a club for the first time in months. We love seeing our South Shore community get moving again. We just want to make sure you do it in a way that keeps you feeling great all season long. Here are some spring injury prevention tips from Plymouth Bay Orthopedic Associates.

Spring is one of the busiest times of year for orthopedic offices not because people are doing anything wrong, but because enthusiasm tends to outpace preparation. Muscles that sat dormant through the winter are suddenly asked to perform at full capacity. The good news is that spring injury prevention is simpler than you might think most injuries are avoidable with the right preparation. Here are our top tips, broken down by activity.

🏃 Running & Walking: Build Back Gradually

Runner's knee, shin splints, plantar fasciitis, and IT band syndrome these are the calling cards of "too much, too soon." Your cardiovascular fitness may have held up through winter, but your tendons, ligaments, and joints need time to adapt to the increased load of outdoor running.

Tips to run smart this spring:

• Follow the 10% rule. Increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10% each week. This gives your connective tissue time to strengthen alongside your muscles.
• Warm up dynamically. Skip static stretching before your run. Instead, spend 5–10 minutes on leg swings, hip circles, walking lunges, and high knees to prepare your joints.
• Check your shoes. Running shoes have a lifespan of roughly 300–500 miles. If yours have been sitting in the closet since fall, inspect them for wear and consider a fresh pair if they are overdue.
• Respect rest days. Your body repairs and strengthens during rest, not during the run itself. Build at least one or two full rest days into your week.
• Listen to early warning signs. Persistent aching around the kneecap, tightness in the Achilles, or pain along the inside of the shin are signals to dial things back not push through.

🌱 Gardening & Yard Work: Your Body Is a Tool Too

Gardening may not look like a sport, but it demands a surprising amount from your body repetitive bending, kneeling, lifting, and overhead reaching that can strain the back, knees, wrists, and shoulders if you are not careful. Lower back injuries are among the most common gardening complaints we see every spring.

Tips for a pain-free garden season:

• Warm up before you dig in. A short walk and a few minutes of gentle stretching including cat-cow for the spine and shoulder rolls can prepare your body before you hit the soil.
• Mind your back. When lifting bags of mulch or planters, bend at the knees and keep the load close to your body. Avoid twisting while lifting pivot your feet instead.
• Alternate tasks. Vary your positions regularly. If you have been kneeling for 20 minutes, stand and do a standing task for a while. This prevents overloading any single area.
• Use the right tools. Long-handled tools reduce the need to stoop or overreach. Ergonomic grips reduce strain on the wrists and hands especially important if you have arthritis or a prior wrist injury.
• Take breaks. Schedule 10-minute rest breaks every hour, and stay hydrated. Fatigue is when most gardening injuries happen.

⛳ Golf: Don't Let the First Round of the Season Sideline You

Golf is a sport of rotation and after months away from the course, that full-body swing can be a rude awakening for your lower back, hips, and shoulders. Golfer's elbow (medial epicondylitis) and rotator cuff strains spike every April and May. A little preparation goes a long way.

Tips to tee off without pain:

• Ease back into full swings. Start your first few sessions with half-swings and short irons. Your spine and hips need time to remember the movement pattern before you unleash a full drive.
• Stretch your thoracic spine and hips. Golf rotation originates from your mid-back and hips. A tight thoracic spine forces your lower back to compensate a recipe for injury. Foam rolling and seated rotation stretches help.
• Strengthen your core. A strong core protects your spine and generates power efficiently. Even 10 minutes of planks, dead bugs, and bird-dogs a few times a week makes a meaningful difference.
• Check your grip. An overly tight grip is one of the leading causes of golfer's elbow and wrist strain. Hold the club firmly enough for control, but not so tight that your forearm muscles fatigue within a few holes.
• Walk the course. If you have not been very active over winter, consider riding for the first round or two while your endurance builds back up. Walking 18 holes is a serious physical challenge after a sedentary few months.

🎾 Tennis & Pickleball: The Sport That Keeps on Growing

Pickleball is now the fastest-growing sport in America and with good reason. It is social, accessible, and genuinely fun. But both pickleball and tennis place repeated stress on the elbow, shoulder, wrist, knee, and ankle. We are seeing more pickleball-related injuries than ever, particularly in players who jumped in without much preparation.

Tips for a healthy season on the court:

• Lateral movement matters. Court sports require quick side-to-side cuts that your body may not have practiced all winter. Ladder drills, lateral shuffles, and balance exercises improve ankle stability and reduce sprain risk before you start playing matches.
• Address tennis elbow early. Lateral elbow pain that worsens with gripping or backhand shots is a classic sign of tennis elbow. If you notice this, reduce play volume, ice after sessions, and consider seeing us — early treatment prevents a minor issue from becoming a chronic one.
• Warm up your shoulder. The serving and overhead motions in tennis and pickleball rely heavily on the rotator cuff. Band exercises, arm circles, and light overhead movements before play prepare these small but critical muscles.
• Wear the right footwear. Court shoes are specifically designed for the lateral demands of racket sports. Running shoes do not provide the same lateral support and significantly increase ankle injury risk on a hard court.
• Start with doubles. Doubles reduces the court coverage demands on each player a smart way to ease back in without overexerting yourself early in the season.

Spring Injury Prevention: Tips That Apply to Every Activity

• Hydrate. Even in cool spring weather, outdoor activity causes fluid loss. Dehydration affects muscle function and increases injury risk.
• Wear sunscreen. Not orthopedic advice but your skin will thank us.
• Cool down properly. Five to ten minutes of easy movement and static stretching after activity helps clear lactic acid and maintains flexibility over time.
• Sleep is recovery. Aim for 7–9 hours. Growth hormone essential for tissue repair — is primarily released during deep sleep.
• When in doubt, get it checked. Pain that persists beyond 48–72 hours, swelling, or any sense of instability in a joint deserves a professional evaluation. Catching things early almost always leads to faster, simpler treatment.

This blog is provided for general informational and educational purposes by the clinical team at Plymouth Bay Orthopedic Associates, Inc. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your healthcare provider with questions about a medical condition or before beginning a new exercise program. Plymouth Bay Orthopedic Associates is affiliated with the New England Baptist Orthopedics Program at Beth Israel Deaconess Hospital – Plymouth and is a teaching affiliate of Tufts University School of Medicine.