What Seasonal Sports Mean for Your Body
By Dr. Tyler Kelly, DPM, FACFAS
As the seasons change, so do our hobbies, exercise routines, and weekend adventures.
Whether it’s strapping on skis in the winter, lacing up running shoes in the spring, or
hitting the water in the summer, each new season brings a fresh wave of physical
activity—and often, a fresh set of aches and pains to go along with it.
As a podiatrist and foot and ankle surgeon, I see this pattern every year in my clinic.
Patients come in excited about their new seasonal sport, only to find themselves
sidelined by pain within the first few weeks. The good news? Most of these injuries are
preventable with the right preparation and awareness.
My Own Experience: Wakesurfing Season is Back
I’ll be the first to admit that I’m not immune to the seasonal sports cycle myself. Every
spring, as the weather warms up, I dust off my board and get back on the water for
wakesurfing. There’s nothing quite like gliding behind the boat on a warm afternoon—
it’s one of my favorite parts of summer.
Getting back on the water — wakesurfing season!
But even I have to practice what I preach. Every early season, I notice the familiar
tightness and soreness that comes from jumping back into an activity my body hasn’t
done in months. And sure enough, early season shin splints have become something of
an annual tradition for me.
Wakesurfing demands balance, core stability, and leg strength that most of us let lapse
during the off-season. The repetitive loading on the lower legs—especially while
balancing and adjusting on the board—creates the perfect storm for shin splints in those
first few weeks back on the water.
Understanding Shin Splints (Medial Tibial Stress Syndrome)
Shin splints—clinically known as medial tibial stress syndrome (MTSS)—refer to pain
along the inner edge of the tibia, the large bone in the front of your lower leg. They
typically develop when the muscles, tendons, and bone tissue become overworked due
to a rapid increase in physical activity.
Common symptoms include:
• A dull, aching pain along the inner shin
• Tenderness or soreness along the tibia
• Mild swelling in the lower leg
• Pain that worsens during and after exercise
Common Seasonal Injuries: What You Need to Know
Not all pain is created equal. Understanding the type of injury you’re dealing with is
critical to getting the right treatment—and avoiding making it worse. Here are the four
most common categories I treat in my patients at the start of a new season:
1. Muscle Strains & Tears
A muscle strain occurs when muscle fibers are overstretched or partially torn due to
sudden exertion or repetitive overuse. In the foot and ankle, the calf complex
(gastrocnemius and soleus), the peroneal muscles along the outer ankle, and the
intrinsic muscles of the foot are especially vulnerable at the start of a new season.
What it feels like:
• A sudden sharp “pop” or pulling sensation during activity
• Localized pain, swelling, and bruising
• Weakness or difficulty bearing weight
• Pain with stretching or contracting the affected muscle
2. Stress Fractures
Stress fractures are tiny cracks in bone caused by repetitive force—not a single traumatic
event. They are one of the most commonly misdiagnosed injuries because they often
start as a dull, diffuse ache that athletes mistakenly attribute to general soreness. In the
foot, the metatarsals (the long bones leading to your toes) are the most frequently
affected. The navicular and calcaneus (heel bone) are also high-risk sites.
Warning signs:
• Pain that begins during activity and worsens progressively over days to weeks
• Point tenderness directly over a bone
• Swelling on the top of the foot or around the ankle
• Pain that improves with rest but returns immediately upon resuming activity
3. Muscle Tightness & Overuse Syndrome
Muscle tightness is often dismissed as just “soreness,” but chronic tightness in the lower
leg and foot can be the root cause of a cascade of more serious problems. When muscles
are tight, they alter biomechanics—changing the way load is distributed across your foot
and ankle—setting the stage for tendinopathy, plantar fasciitis, and stress fractures.
Common areas of tightness in seasonal athletes:
• Gastrocnemius & soleus (calf): tight calves increase stress on the Achilles tendon
and plantar fascia
• Peroneals (outer ankle): tightness here can limit ankle mobility and increase the
risk of ankle sprains
• Plantar fascia: tightness in the arch is the hallmark of plantar fasciitis, one of the
most common foot complaints I see each spring
• Tibialis anterior (front of shin): often the culprit in shin splint-type pain
4. Ligament Injuries (Sprains & Instability)
Ligaments are the tough, fibrous bands that connect bone to bone and provide joint
stability. The ankle is one of the most commonly sprained joints in the body, and lateral
ankle sprains—involving the anterior talofibular ligament (ATFL) and calcaneofibular
ligament (CFL).
Why Seasonal Transitions Lead to Injury
The human body is remarkably adaptable—but it needs time to adapt. When we
transition from one season to the next and jump headfirst into a new sport or activity,
we’re essentially asking our muscles, joints, tendons, and bones to do things they
haven’t been asked to do in months.
New Seasons, New Activities, New Pains
The best way to avoid early-season injuries is preparation. Here are the strategies I
recommend to my patients—and try to follow myself:
1. Ease In Gradually
Don’t expect your body to pick up where it left off six months ago. Reduce your intensity
and duration by 30–50% in the first two weeks and build up from there. For water
sports, that might mean shorter sessions and focusing on technique before pushing
endurance.
2. Sport-Specific Strengthening
Identify the key muscle groups your seasonal sport demands and begin conditioning
them 4–6 weeks before the season starts. For wakesurfing and board sports, that means
core stability, hip strength, and calf/ankle conditioning.
3. Warm Up Properly
Dynamic warm-ups—leg swings, hip circles, ankle circles, and light cardio—prepare
your joints and muscles for activity far better than static stretching does. Save deep
static stretching for after your session.
4. Listen to Your Body
Pain is your body’s warning system. Early-season discomfort is normal, but sharp pain,
swelling, or pain that persists at rest is a signal to stop and seek evaluation. Pushing
through warning signs is the most common way a minor issue becomes a season-ending
injury.
When to See a Podiatrist
As a podiatrist specializing in foot and ankle surgery, I treat everything from shin splints
and stress fractures to tendon injuries and ankle instability. Many of the patients I see in
my surgical practice could have avoided the operating room entirely with earlier
intervention and proper management.
New season, new adventures—just make sure your feet and ankles are along for the
ride. Stay active, stay smart, and don’t wait until a minor ache becomes a major
problem. Your foundation matters more than you think.
Dr. Tyler Kelly, DPM, FACFAS
Podiatry & Foot and Ankle Surgery | Tri-State Orthopaedics | Evansville, IN 47715 | 812-477-1558 |