How to avoid spring's most common exercise pains
To avoid the most common spring training pains, the key is gradual progression and strengthening of supporting muscles. When we quickly transition from little activity to running, soccer, paddle tennis, cycling, mountain hiking, and gardening, the strain increases faster than the body can adapt. The most common ailments are sprained ankles, Achilles pain, runner's knee, elbow pain, and stiff calves.
The good news is that most of these pains can be prevented. In this guide, we will go through the most common spring training pains activity by activity, with concrete tips and real customer experiences.
An important reminder!
Start gradually with the 10% rule. Strengthen supporting muscles in your daily life. Listen to your body's signals, and consult your GP if the pain lasts more than two weeks.
Contents
• Running and athletics
• Football
• Padel and tennis
• Cycling
• Mountain hiking and orienteering
• Golf
• Gardening and cabin season
• The 10% rule
• Frequently asked questions
Gradual progression is the key to an injury-free spring.
Running and athletics: Achilles, runner's knee, and calf stiffness
Runners are among those most frequently affected by spring injuries. This is not a criticism, just a pattern we see every spring. Many runners do the same thing year after year: they train consistently with lower volume through the winter, take a break, and then start up again in April as if their bodies were at the same level as last autumn.
The muscles are not ready for such an abrupt transition. When the volume increases from a low level to 20 kilometers in two weeks, three classic running injuries occur: Achilles pain, runner's knee (also known as "patellofemoral pain syndrome" or ITBS), and general calf stiffness.
According to NHI's guidelines for running injury prevention, the conclusion is always the same: the 10% rule. Never increase your volume by more than 10 percent per week.
"For several years, I've had problems with restless legs, small cramps, and quite sore calves after physically demanding activity. I decided to try this product and have experienced great improvement."
Kristian, customer
For runner's knee specifically, gradually building up strength around the hip and knee helps. For Achilles pain, simple calf stretches and a gradual increase in long-distance running can make a big difference.
Our Knee Support can provide the knee with extra stability, and Calf Compression Sleeves can contribute to faster recovery and less soreness after a run. Both can be used in daily life, not just during running.
Calf compression sleeves provide support during running and faster recovery afterwards.
Football: sprained ankles and knee strain
"Since an idiotic company match in 1998, I've had repeated sprained ankles, so common that it barely hurt anymore. Not a single sprain since I got it, and I actually (almost) trust my ankle again."
Thomas, customer
"As a club, we have had very good experience with the product. Players say they feel their ankle working and that their muscles are being trained."
Anders, customer
Football is the activity with the most ankle injuries in Norway. You run straight, suddenly have to stop and change direction, and your ankle doesn't keep up. Or an opponent hits your foot from the side. Or the grass is uneven, and you twist your ankle. The result is the same: a sprained ankle.
Knee strain from uneven ground and quick changes of direction comes in second. And if you had an ankle or knee injury last season, the risk of recurrence is four times higher than for those without a history.
Our Ankle Trainer, with its patented ankle training, is used in daily life, for example, on the way to work or during daily chores. The resistance in the product makes the ankle muscles work with every step. Stronger muscles around the ankle are one of the most effective ways to prevent sprained ankles.
Our Knee Support can be used in daily life to provide the knee with extra stability. Good knee stability can help prevent overuse injuries.
Football is the activity with the most ankle injuries in Norway.
Padel and tennis: elbow, wrist, and rapid changes of direction
Padel has become enormously popular in Norway. 150,000 Norwegians now play padel, and when spring warmth arrives and outdoor facilities open, all courts from Bodø to Kristiansand are fully booked.
With the padel boom comes padel elbow, properly named lateral epicondylitis. This is an overuse injury to the muscles on the outside of the elbow. It's caused by repeated small strains from gripping and swinging. If you haven't played padel since last year, it occurs very, very often.
"I struggle with a lot of pain around my elbow both in everyday life and during training. I feel that this product helps a lot with the pain and allows me to both lift weights and play padel without pain."
Anders, customer
The wrist also takes a lot of strain. Grip strength and wrist rotation become demanding after two hours of padel three days a week. "De Quervain's" tenosynovitis, tightness on the side of the wrist near the thumb, is also common, especially among women. Here, our Wrist Support is a good help in preventing injuries.
"I've always been a bit weak in the wrists, but it became a problem when I started playing padel."
Anja, customer
The ankle also takes strain from rapid side-to-side movements. Elbow Support can help relieve the elbow, and Wrist Support does the same for the wrist. Both can be used in daily life, not just during play. For the ankle, Ankle Support can provide light stabilization in everyday life, which can be useful for those who play padel or tennis regularly. As Naprapatlandslaget documents, preventing padel elbow is crucial when activity increases rapidly.
150,000 Norwegians play padel, and padel elbow is the most common injury.
Cycling: knee pain and stiff calves after long rides
The cycling season starts when the snow melts, the roads become dry again, and Norwegians flock out with both road bikes and mountain bikes.
Classic cycling injuries include knee pain from incorrect saddle position, or "iliotibial band syndrome" (ITBS) from overuse. Long rides, especially in May when everyone goes on their big spring bike tour, cause soreness and fatigue in the calves. Knee support can help stabilize the knee, and Calf Compression Sleeves can contribute to faster recovery and less soreness the next day.
Mountain hiking and orienteering: unstable ankles and knee pain on uneven terrain
Norwegian mountains open up when the snow disappears. Orienteering clubs set up series. And people who have been indoors since September put on their hiking boots and try to regain their old form on the mountain trails.
Uneven terrain is a challenge for the ankle. One misstep, and you have a sprained ankle. Downhill walking is also demanding for the knee. The calf muscles work as a brake during descent, and if you haven't trained them in a while, it can cause pain.
"I'm usually in the mountains a lot, but I've been cautious lately due to pain on the way down. I bought this and think it has helped a lot."
Malin, customer
Ankle Trainer can be used daily in the weeks leading up to hiking season to strengthen ankle muscles. Ankle Support provides light stabilization. Knee Support can contribute to better knee stability on uneven terrain. As Professor Per Morten Fredriksen explains, muscle strength around the ankle is the best insurance against recurrent injuries.
Uneven terrain is a challenge for ankles and knees.
Golf: elbow and wrist feeling the first rounds of the season
The golf season opens in May. And while most people envision a pleasant day on the green, the risk of elbow overuse is high. Golfer's elbow and wrist tightness from gripping and swinging are classic golf injuries, especially for individuals who haven't swung a club since the previous year.
Elbow support and Wrist support can be used in daily life to provide extra support for the elbow and wrist. This can help you enter the golf season better prepared.
Gardening and cabin season: the pains no one takes seriously
This is the part of spring that everyone overlooks, but which injures hundreds of thousands of Norwegians: gardening and cabin season.
In April and May, there is raking, digging, painting, hammering, and carrying to be done. Garden plants must go into the soil. The cabin must be tidied up before summer. And while people do this, on their knees for hours or with their arms raised overhead for hours to paint walls, the same injuries occur as during intense sports: tennis elbow from painting, raking, digging with repetitive arm movements, "De Quervain's" tenosynovitis from gripping tools tightly, and knee pain from working on one's knees.
Few take it seriously. It's "just" gardening. It's "just" painting the cabin. But the strain on the elbow, wrist, and knees is the same as in tennis and golf.
Elbow support, Wrist support, and Knee support can be used just as well when working in the garden as when exercising. Daily use can help build stability in joints and muscles.
Gardening and cabin season put the same strain on the body as intense sports.
How to prevent training pains: the 10% rule
All the pains mentioned above, whether it's running, football, padel, or gardening, start with the same thing: too rapid an increase in load. You do nothing for six months, and then you do it daily for two weeks. Your body says no, and it does so through pain.
The 10% Rule
Increase your training volume or work intensity by a maximum of 10 percent per week. If you ran 20 kilometers last week, you shouldn't run more than 22 kilometers this week. If you worked in the garden for 3 hours last Saturday, stick to around 3.3 hours this Saturday.
It may sound like a small amount. But it can make a big difference.
The key to an injury-free spring is the same regardless of activity: start slowly, listen to your body, and build up gradually. By following the 10% rule and strengthening vulnerable areas in daily life, you lay the foundation for an active season without unnecessary pain.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the most common training pains in spring?
Sprained ankles from football and mountain hiking, runner's knee and Achilles pain from running, padel elbow from playing padel, and knee pain from cycling or mountain hiking. All are overuse injuries that occur when volume increases too quickly.
When should I see a GP for training pains?
If the pain lasts more than two weeks, increases in severity even at rest, or makes it impossible to perform daily activities, contact your GP. Your GP can refer you to a physiotherapist if needed.
Can I train with pain?
It depends on the nature of the pain. Mild discomfort during or immediately after training may be okay to train through, but not pain that forces you to change your running style or technique. If you alter how you move to avoid pain, you're just creating new problems.
What is the 10% rule?
Never increase your training volume, work intensity, or running distance by more than 10 percent per week. It is the simplest and most effective tool for preventing overuse injuries.
What products help with training pains?
Wear'N'Go offers products for ankles: Ankle Trainer for active muscle training in everyday life, and Ankle Support for light stabilization. For knees, elbows, and wrists, Knee Support, Elbow Support, and Wrist Support are offered. All are used daily to build muscle strength and stability.
Prevent spring training aches with products that work while you walk.
Sources
1. NHI: Running, preventing overuse injuries
2. Naprapatlandslaget: Padel elbow
3. Professor Per Morten Fredriksen: Interview on treatment after ankle sprain
4. Naprapatteamet: Achilles pain after running
5. Runner's World Norway: Injury prevention measures in spring
