Athletes at all costs, but only in the summer. Here's what to avoid.

Here are some tips to keep from ruining your holiday and jeopardizing your health, saving winter from unpleasant osteoarticular surprises.
Giorgio Maria Calori, Head Orthopaedic Surgeon at the Pini Orthopaedic Institute in Milan.

Milan, June 9, 2014 - With swimsuit season on the way, even those who took it easy over the winter are starting to exercise.

This can create problems, especially osteoarticular ones. There are many things to keep in mind, starting with choosing the right time of day to exercise, giving priority to the early morning or late afternoon in order to reduce significant loss of water and minerals. "After exercising, it is very important to remember to perform 10 minutes of stretching.

Your metabolism has to gradually steady itself after physical effort. Since digestive processes remove blood from the muscles, it is best to avoid starting a meal until 2-3 hours from the end of the activity, explains Giorgio Maria Calori, Director of the Restorative Orthopaedic Surgery Division (COR) at the Gaetano Pini Orthopaedic Institute in Milan. Here are some important indications and tips to protect yourself from injuries or trauma during the summer holiday.

• For those who love to run on the beach.

For those who are in shape, running on the beach can be good exercise for strengthening feet and leg muscles but for unprepared athletes, it could be risky for their ankle tendons.

Tip: it is best to run on the wet sand near the shoreline where the soil is more compact. Always wear running shoes to avoid cuts or scratches.
Avoid running on sloped ground. Sand does not provide enough support for feet and ankles, increasing the risk of joint damage.

• For those who prefer swimming

For those who love to swim, summer is definitely the right time. Swimming and water aerobics are recommended for those suffering from lumbar and knee arthritis.

Tip: Avoid the breaststroke or butterfly stroke.

• For cyclists

For cyclists, optimum adjustment of the height and position of the seat and handlebars is very important.

Tip: The handlebars must be adjusted so that you are not flexed too far forward, which would overload the intervertebral discs.
The seat, on the other hand, should be adjusted based on the rider's height in order to achieve uniform pedalling with complete knee extension.

• For those who love five-a-side football and beach volley ball

Summer also means five-a-side football and volley ball games on the beach. Among the most common injuries are sprained thumbs, sprained ankles and broken wrists. Frequent knee tendinitis is also very common in running sports and in sports that require repeated jumps.

Tip: use sports wraps on the ankle.

• For tennis players

Those who play tennis risk developing tendonitis of the elbow.

Tip: less tightness in the racquet strings and adequate warm-up.

• For surfers

Surfers must also pay attention when practising their sport. In addition to acute osteoarticular or capsuloligamentous injuries there are also chronic injuries including postural rachialgia, insertional tendinitis and bursitis.

Tip: a good pre-summer workout aimed at reinforcing the quadriceps muscles. In addition, during the sports period perform spinal and lumbar stretching at the end of the activity.