Winter Workout Safety

Lately, we’ve been experiencing some cold weather in North Texas and that cold weather can really be a burden to those of us who have our heart set on not giving up on our New Year’s resolution of working out. So how do we keep our resolution in mind without risking potential injuries?

Exercising outside in the cold winter weather adds a whole new layer of risk for both experienced and amateur athletes. At Total Orthopedics Sports & Spine, we see a lot of patients during the wintertime with injuries such as sprained ankles, fractures and knee injuries.

Cold-Weather Risks

The cold weather not only makes it hard for you to mentally prepare to face the cold to exercise, but it can cause serious injuries.

• Skipping Your Warm-Up: Warming up is an essential part of healthy exercising; skipping it can cause an increased risk of injury. You may be more prone to hamstring pulls, calf sprains, ankle sprains, or knee pain.
• Slip and Fall: The cold weather conditions could mean that the sidewalks or roadways are slippery and therefore could cause you to fall and fracture your wrist or ankle or cause a knee or back injury.

Preventing Injuries

At Total Orthopedics Sports & Spine we are experts in sports medicine, which means we understand how to treat and prevent sports-related injuries. Read the list below to see what to do in order to prevent suffering from injuries caused by your cold weather workout:

• Dress appropriately for the cold temperatures (hat, gloves, winter coat, breathable layers, etc.)
• Warm-up
• Stay hydrated
• Run with a partner (if possible)
• Stay alert and look out for ice
• Cool down

Next Steps

If you do wind up injuring yourself during your cold weather workout, give our office a call so that our top-rated orthopedic surgeons and physical therapists can get you back to living your active lifestyle. Our offices are located in McKinney and Allen.