Summertime Injury Prevention Activities

There’s no place quite like BC in the summertime. For those of you seeking injury prevention activities while also wanting to make the most out of the great outdoors, we’ve compiled a list of our physiotherapists favourite summer to-dos. Brush up on your physical literacy with this summertime lesson plan!

Best summertime activities for injury prevention and body safety

1. Hiking

You can’t live in Surrey or the Lower Mainland during the summer without going on a hike. The physical benefits of hiking are endless—increased muscle mass, improved bone density, enhanced cardio, and improved core function are just a few of the many perks. If you haven’t been hiking at all this summer, make sure to check out our tips on how to train for your summer hike!

2. Kayaking

Kayaking is a relatively low impact activity that, when done properly, can be great for upper body injury prevention. Kayaking improves your core fitness, mobility, flexibility, strength, and aerobic fitness. The primary areas of your body targeted during kayaking include your arms, chest, shoulders, back, and core. Our experts recommend that you compliment kayaking with other full body summer activities so there’s no risk of overdeveloped shoulder muscles that can strain your stabilizers. If you find your shoulders or rotator cuff sore after kayaking, here’s a list of  our ten favorite exercises to fix shoulder pain.

3. Paddle-boarding

Standup paddleboarding is one of the best ways to experience a sunny day in Vancouver. Not to mention, it’s one of our favourite low risk injury prevention activity options out there! Paddle-boarding has extensive fitness benefits including enhanced endurance, improved balance, increased strength, attention to overall fitness, and provision of a mind-body-nature connection that few other simmer exercises accomplish.

This physical activity is cherished by our expert physiotherapists because it can be very useful in rehabilitating injuries. Due to its low impact nature, paddle-boarding is easy on the joints and muscles while still offering full body movement. The sport allows for a gentle and gradual increase of activity depending on your level of exercise and comfort. Keep in mind water safety whenever you’re exercising on the water!

4.  Beach Running

There are several beaches you can take advantage of in Surrey and across the Lower Mainland. Barefoot jogging on the soft beach ground has numerous physical therapy benefits. Not only do you burn a staggering 30% more calories in comparison to road running, but it also forces your small stabilizing muscles in the feet, ankles, and knees, to work harder. This muscle strengthening works to prevent common running injures that may otherwise crop up in the fall and winter season.
Running on the beach further offers effective resistance training that reduces the risk of shinsplints and achilles tears in the future. Safety should be your top priority. If the summer heat is too much for your body make sure to take necessary breaks and stay hydrated.

5. Biking

Cycling is a healthy, low-impact exercise that can be enjoyed by people of all ages, from young children to older adults. Not to mention, it is also fun, cheap, and good for the environment! Cycling is primarily an aerobic activity, which means your heart, blood vessels and lungs all get a good workout.

Some of the top health benefits of regular cycling include increased cardiovascular fitness, increased muscle strength and flexibility, decreased stress levels, improved joint mobility, decreased stress levels, improved posture and coordination, and strengthened bones.

Keep in mind bike safety when you’re out for a cycle!