The end of summer in Alaska often feels like a frantic time. Suddenly, longtime locals notice telltale signs of impending winter: the fireweed has nearly all fizzled, popped and floated away; golden hues are creeping down mountain sides that were recently verdant; the sun, which only weeks earlier had nestled into the horizon well to the right of Sleeping Lady, is now setting hours earlier to her left. While those summer days may be long, they terminate all too soon and the final few weeks of the season are frequently marked by adventure-lovers cramming in last-minute hikes, paddles and bike rides before the snow flies. Another unmistakable sign of summer winding down? Injuries. “One of the main things we see here, as a physical therapy office, is people getting out and doing too much too quickly,” said John Polonowski, a physical therapist at United Physical Therapy. Polonowski added that one of the most common forms of injury they see are tendonitis, a form of inflammation or irritation of a tendon in your shoulders, elbows, wrists, knees or heels, usually caused by overuse.
20 August
2021 | 61°north
“It is a pretty short, intense summer and a lot of times people come out of the gate a little hot, so slowing down and allowing your body to adapt to the stress helps mitigate potential injuries,” Polonowski said. Tarah Sweeney, a physical therapist and owner of Progressive Physical Therapy echoed the sentiment, saying that she often urges her patients to not “do too much, too hard, too fast,” but rather to build up slowly, doing 10 percent more each week. If you were able to comfortably do a three hour hike last week, opt for a three-and-a-half or so hour hike next, rather than trying to bag a trail that will take nine hours.
Tendonitis is far from the only form of injury that can force outdoor-loving people to spend more time on the couch. Additional causes of injuries include: strain from poor posture while biking, hiking (particularly if you’re carrying too heavy of a backpack), paddling or even fishing; wearing improper footwear (hello, blisters); and cuts, scrapes, sprains and broken bones sustained from falls, among others. Being equipped with the right gear, Sweeney and Polonowski said, can make a big difference. That includes applying sunblock to prevent burns and drinking plenty of water to avoid dehydration, even though the days are getting shorter and colder. Similarly, while there might not yet be snow, it’s
