The weather turns warm, the motivation comes back, and suddenly people are doing in one weekend what they have not done in four months. That is when the calls start coming in.

The injury was not bad luck. The body simply was not ready for the load.

Why the Return to Activity Is When People Get Hurt

Winter reduces movement for most people — fewer outdoor activities, shorter days, more time sitting. Muscles lose some conditioning. Joints move through a smaller range. The cardiovascular system adjusts down. None of this is dramatic, but it adds up over a few months.

The problem is that motivation does not adjust the same way the body does. People feel ready — and in their minds, they are. But the tendons, ligaments, and smaller stabilizing muscles that take the most stress in sport have not caught up yet. That gap between perceived readiness and physical readiness is where most spring injuries live.

Who Gets Hurt and Why

This pattern shows up across all ages and activities, but a few groups see it most consistently:

• Runners who jump from minimal mileage back to their pre-winter distances within a week or two — the most common cause of IT band, knee, and plantar issues
• Golfers who go from zero rounds to 18 holes on opening weekend, loading a rotational pattern the spine has not done in months
• Pickleball players — one of the fastest-growing sports for adults 40+ and one of the leading sources of spring knee, elbow, and Achilles injuries
• Youth athletes moving into spring seasons after winter sports or inactivity, often with back-to-back practices and games in the first few weeks

Why Mobility Matters Before Strength

A common response to returning to sport is to focus on building strength — more gym time, more conditioning. Strength matters, but it is not the first priority after a period of reduced activity.

Before the body can load well, it needs to move well. Restricted hips change how the knee absorbs force. A stiff thoracic spine alters how the shoulder and lower back compensate in rotation. Tight hip flexors shift the pelvis and add stress to the lower back on every stride. Mobility — the ability to move through a full, controlled range — is what gives strength somewhere useful to go.

• Restore hip mobility before adding running volume
• Address thoracic rotation before returning to golf or racquet sports
• Work on ankle and calf flexibility before ramping up any running or court sport

Making the Transition Smarter

• Build volume gradually. A general rule for running: increase weekly mileage by no more than 10% per week.
• Warm up with movement, not static stretching. Five to ten minutes of dynamic movement — leg swings, hip circles, light walking — prepares the joints better than holding stretches before activity.
• Give recovery the same attention as the workout. The body adapts during rest, not during the activity itself.
• Do not play through sharp or worsening pain. Discomfort during effort is normal. Pain that sharpens with activity or persists afterward is a signal worth paying attention to.

Where Chiropractic Fits In

Getting checked before the season ramps up — not after the first injury — is the better approach. When the spine and hips are moving well, the body distributes the load from sport more efficiently. Restrictions that were manageable in low-activity months become more significant when the demand increases.

For youth athletes especially, early-season care helps establish the range of motion and spinal function they need before coaches start pushing volume. That investment at the start of a season pays off over the full length of it.

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Next Week

Week 3 looks at road trips, long drives, and early summer travel — why hours of sitting stiffens the hips and lower back, how car posture affects the neck, and what to do to arrive in better shape than you left.

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Ryan Chiropractic Wellness
Improving Function. Restoring Balance. Supporting Long-Term Health.

📍 Georgetown & Taunton, Massachusetts

📞 (978) 352-4200

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