Cool Down This Summer

We’ve talked about our Summer bucket list and all the things that we want to get done before the leaves start to change color. No, I still haven’t been to my drive-in movie. *sigh* I’ll get there though! Typically, a lot of Summer activities include water sports in the Midwest like tubing, wakeboarding, water skiing, wake surfing, jet skiing, kayaking, etc. Another big thing in the Midwest is town league softball. A lot of these fun activities can cause injuries ranging from rope burn, concussions, to sore muscles, and broken bones.

Cool the Pain

Getting injured during a Summer activity is not ideal. Here in Minnesota, we only have three good months (if we’re lucky) of warm Summer days. So, you need to be able to pack all the fun you can into a few short weeks. With that being said, you need to stay healthy because how can you jump the wake on your wakeboard with a sore shoulder? Or how can you score the game winning run with a sprained ankle?

 

The answer is that you can’t.

 

 

 

 

 

You need to stay healthy. In order to get the most out of your Summer fun you’ll need to stretch, stay hydrated, ice your sore muscles, and wear the right gear. However, even if you do everything right you can still end up with an injury. All it takes is one wild pitch to the leg to be sore and out of the fun for a few days. Or maybe you landed wrong after attempting a flip on your new pair of water skis.

 

The first thing I do when I get injured (which truth be told, isn’t very often because I don’t take too many risks simply to avoid the pain. My pain tolerance is nearly nonexistent) is to ice the sore area. Especially, if it’s a sore muscle from a sport or physical activity (I probably won’t be icing a rope burn, but maybe if it’s bad enough).

Supplies On Hand

Summer activities usually call for being away from the house…unless your backyard happens to be a softball field or a lake then you can just ignore this. If you’re out and about you’re going to want to a first aid kit because as the saying goes, “expect the unexpected.” Be prepared for the fun to take a pause as you fix the problem.

 

The nice thing about Summer activities is that most times it involves a cooler with adult beverages. If you’re diabetic, you can place your travel kit inside of the cooler for extra protection. You don’t want to run the risk of your insulin overheating or a foul ball landing on your travel kit and breaking your insulin. Of course there will be water hidden in there somewhere. Therefore, there is either some extra ice or ice packs chilling in the cooler. If the pitch hits your shoulder, just grab an ice pack from the cooler to help heal your sore muscle. Your beer or White Claw will survive with one less ice pack. (A little hint for our fellow diabetics, White Claws are only 100 calories with 2g of carbs and 2g of sugar!! A low carb adult beverage that you can have without worrying about your blood sugar levels.)  

 

Keeping supplies on hand is helpful to keep our bodies performing at their best. I know it’s only town league softball, but trust me, it gets taken very seriously.

Handle the Curve Balls

 

Life is always throwing wrenches in your plans, or as us ball fans would call it, curve balls. Don’t let the curve balls ruin your entire summer. Be prepared with the supplies that you’ll need to help yourself feel better.

 

Drink lots of water, take anti-inflammatory medication if you’re sore, have band-aids, ice packs, tape, and towels ready for use. With the proper equipment on hand you’ll be back in the water or on the field in no time. Which is important because Autumn is right around the corner. I’m not sure if I’m excited or sad for fall, but either way it’s coming. But, for now we can still check items off our Summer Bucket List and stay cool this summer. (By staying cool, I mean with all the icing of your sore muscles you’ll be doing since you’ll be exhausted after fun-filled days!).

 

Tell me what Summer activities you’ll be checking off your bucket list in the upcoming weeks–leave them in comments to give me inspiration! Or find me on the GMS social media channels or via email, whichever is your style.