Canadian Winters can be long – especially when the London Men’s Baseball League (LMBL) doesn’t begin until May.
Due to the short season, which runs from May to September, it means that we experience a very long offseason. One of the risks we face as summer ‘weekend warriors’ is thinking that our bodies are still capable of what they were when we were younger. When we jump back into the baseball season after being largely inactive over the winter, our bodies are primed for injury.
Scott Verhaeghe, who is an R.M.T. at Function First (and also a member of the LMBL Brewers) has some expertise on the subject.
“As we age (into our 30s and beyond), our muscles decrease in size and tone, and our tendons stiffen and become less resistant to stress,” says Verhaeghe. “Our hearts also become less efficient at delivering larger quantities of blood to our muscles. All of these factors increase the risk of injuries.”
So, with the potential for injury, here are some things to work on during the offseason and before games:
• Always warm up before physical activity and cool down before finishing.
• Do light stretching.
• Commit to fitness throughout the week.
• Rest and listen to your body.
• See a physical therapist.
The importance of regular exercise, a warmup routine and increased water intake is even more important now than when we were in our youth. When we take care of ourselves pre-game and in-game, we will be able to enjoy the hydration of those post-game adult beverages a lot more when we are injury-free and (largely) pain free.
Submitted by London Mens Baseball League
