Summer is one of the best times of year to rediscover the pleasure of being active. Longer days and more free time create more opportunities to walk, run, swim, cycle, play on the beach, or go hiking in the mountains. Even people who lead a mostly sedentary lifestyle during the year may suddenly find themselves doing several hours of physical activity within just a few days. The problem is not exercise itself, but the abrupt transition from very little movement to high and repeated physical loads. Muscles, tendons, joints, and the cardiovascular system have a remarkable ability to adapt, but they need time and a gradual increase in activity.
The problem is not exercise itself, but the abrupt transition from very little physical activity to high and repeated workloads.
Dr. Davide Bertinetto
Five Rules to Get It Right
The first rule, therefore, is to increase the workload gradually: during the first few days of your holiday, it is best to limit both duration and intensity, avoiding cramming a long hike, a beach game, and perhaps an evening run into the same day.
The second rule is to prepare the body for the movements it will be required to perform. There is no need for complex exercises before starting: five to ten minutes of brisk walking, joint mobility exercises, and movements that progressively resemble the chosen activity can help improve coordination, muscle response, and control of more demanding actions such as jumping, accelerating, decelerating, and changing direction.
The third rule is to choose the activity, surface, and equipment according to your level of preparation. Flip-flops are comfortable for short distances, but they are not suitable for long walks; everyday shoes do not provide the support needed for a mountain trail, and a poorly adjusted bicycle can increase the strain on the knees, tendons, and spine.
Sand also requires some caution: although it is soft, it is an unstable surface that places greater demands on the muscles of the foot, ankle, and calf. Running barefoot or playing on the sand for long periods without prior adaptation can therefore contribute to pain in the plantar fascia, Achilles tendon, or calf muscles.
The fourth rule is to consider recovery an integral part of physical activity. Heat increases fatigue and fluid loss, while insufficient sleep reduces the body’s ability to recover and to control movement properly. Drinking regularly, avoiding the hottest hours of the day, planning breaks, and alternating more intense days with lighter activities can help reduce the accumulation of fatigue.
Recovery does not necessarily mean complete rest: a gentle walk, low-intensity swimming, or some mobility exercises can support active recovery, provided they do not worsen symptoms.
The fifth rule is to learn how to interpret pain. Generalized muscle soreness that develops 24–48 hours after an unfamiliar activity, especially if it gradually subsides, is often a normal response to physical exertion. Greater attention is needed, however, when pain is sharp and localized, worsens during activity, changes the way you run or walk, or is associated with swelling, loss of strength, instability, or restricted movement.
When these signs are present, pushing through to finish a game or hike at all costs can turn an initial overload into a more persistent problem. Stopping does not mean giving up sport; it means protecting your ability to return to it in the best possible condition.
Complete rest is often unnecessary: after an appropriate assessment, it may be possible to temporarily reduce the load, keep pain-free abilities active, and build a gradual return to activity. This is the principle behind sports rehabilitation: not simply relieving pain, but understanding why it appeared, restoring strength, mobility, and movement control, and helping each person return safely to their activity.
The key, therefore, is not to be afraid of movement, but to learn how to manage it appropriately. An active holiday should leave you feeling energized and well, and perhaps help you develop new healthy habits—not leave you with an injury to treat when you return home.
