Many individuals, busy during the week, cannot maintain a regular exercise routine, leading them to concentrate their physical activity on weekends. Doctor Dao Duy An Duy, a specialist at the Orthopedic Trauma Center, Tam Anh General Hospital Ho Chi Minh City, notes that this tendency to exert significant effort in sports on weekends is known as "weekend warrior syndrome". This habit often results in injuries due to inadequate warm-ups or exercising at excessive intensity for short durations.

Doctor Duy explains that a lack of consistent physical activity throughout the week reduces the elasticity and load-bearing capacity of tendons, muscles, and ligaments. A sudden, sharp increase in exercise intensity prevents these biological structures from adapting quickly, increasing the risk of muscle tears or tendon and ligament ruptures. Furthermore, insufficient warm-ups before intense activity can leave muscles stiff, making them more susceptible to injury when subjected to sudden, strong forces.

Doctor Duy explains knee joint and ligament conditions to a patient. *Photo: Tam Anh General Hospital*

Common injuries among those who engage in intense weekend sports include:

Rotator cuff tendonitis: The tendons of the rotator cuff, crucial for stabilizing and moving the shoulder joint, can become inflamed. This condition often involves calcium deposits in the tendons, causing pain. Untreated or recurring injuries may lead to tendon tears. This is frequently observed in individuals who lift weights, swim, or play tennis, volleyball, or badminton.

Elbow tendonitis: This condition involves irritation and pain in the elbow joint tendons, typically stemming from excessive wrist force. Patients might experience weak wrist strength and difficulty gripping objects, affecting even simple tasks like wringing a towel or turning a key. The most common sites for elbow tendonitis are the lateral epicondyle tendon attachment and medial epicondylitis. Individuals playing tennis, badminton, performing push-ups, or playing golf are particularly susceptible to this type of injury.

Low back pain: This can result from overexertion, incorrect movements, or pre-existing spinal damage or disease. Low back pain may indicate a back muscle strain, a herniated disc, or spinal nerve root compression.

Knee meniscus injury: This occurs when individuals perform twisting movements, sudden changes in knee direction, or excessive knee flexion, common in sports like soccer, badminton, tennis, or weightlifting. A meniscus injury or tear causes symptoms such as pain, swelling, inflammation, and knee locking, which can severely impede walking or bending/straightening the knee.

Knee ligament injury: This involves the stretching, tearing, or rupturing of ligaments due to strong impact on the joint, movements exceeding the joint's natural range of motion, or sudden changes in direction. While ligaments exist in all body joints, injuries are most common in the knee.

Achilles tendonitis: This is prevalent among athletes involved in long-distance running or uphill climbing. As the Achilles tendon loses flexibility and elasticity with age, it becomes more prone to inflammation, tears, or ruptures, especially during sudden accelerations like jumping or sprinting.

To prevent sports injuries, Doctor Duy advises everyone to dedicate time to thorough warm-ups and include a stretching session after exercise to gradually transition the body to rest. It is essential to exercise within one's limits and stop immediately if pain or any unusual signs appear. If possible, prioritize regular exercise throughout the week instead of concentrating all activity on weekends.

Phi Hong