Weekend warrior well-being.

Monday, 6:17 a.m. You've jettisoned yourself from your pillow and splashed life into your face--it's time to begin your weekday routine.

Wake the kids up. Shave, shower, dress, commute. Return home, eat dinner, do your chores, watch a little TV while guarding the remote with your life. Send the kids to bed. And then do it all again four more times that week.

But now it's the weekend. And you're ready for something new.

Maybe you go for an Olympian rush by pumping iron, or you try to impress your friends in a hot game of racketball. Perhaps you do your best Michael Jordan playing in a Sunday basketball league. But no matter what you do, chances are you're not going to feel like doing anything the next day if you exercise hard only once a week. An annoying variety of aches and pains are sure to greet you the moment you try getting out of bed. And you can bet they'll keep you company throughout the day--if not the week.

"Any kind of explosive sport in which you're overstressing or overusing your body with a lack of preparation can be an accident waiting to happen," says John Daniels, an orthopedic surgeon in Crystal Lake, Illinois. And it quite often does.

The most strenuous exercise the average weekend warrior may do during the week is getting the mail. So it shouldn't come as any surprise when you pull a hamstring while sprinting over the line to make your winning touchdown at the annual football-in-the-snow game.

Preparing for Battle

Even though there's no way to guarantee protection from injury, there are ways to help greatly reduce your chances of suffering from a new or recurring problem.

"Flexibility is the key to keep your body in peak performance and help avoid injuries," says Michael Kordecki, a sports physical therapist formerly with the Chicago Bears. "That's why it's important to stay in shape during the week by working out at least three times," he says. "But if you can't find the time, at the very least you should make a routine of stretching out. Stretching not only gets you loose and toned, but helps keep your muscles and tendons balanced. And it's something you can do almost anywhere, at any time."

Another way to help avoid potential problems is to have the proper workout gear. Those "good luck" sneakers you've had since high school may still look good on top, but they've probably got the traction of an ice cube. Loose or wrinkled socks could cause a painful blister. And a knee brace doesn't do your knee any good if it's worn around your calf. Equipping yourself with good-quality athletic gear--worn the way it's designed to be worn--is obvious but often overlooked.

Why do weekend warriors find it so hard to make time to work out during the week? Even if you can't block out several hours every day to go to the gym, that doesn't mean you can't get a good workout--it just takes a little effort and creativity.

"Consider getting up a half hour earlier," says Chris Pavlatos, an orthopedic surgeon in Lake Forest. Illinois. "Use part of your lunch break to go for a long walk. While you're watching television, ride the stationary bike instead of sitting on the sofa. And take your kids for a wagon ride around the neighborhood. Not only will you stay active, but you'll be accomplishing two things at once."

Tom Casten, a former amateur bodybuilder and 1982 Mr. Missouri, has gone from five-hour workouts six: days a week to one-hour workouts three times a week. But he believes time isn't the only problem for many.

"I see a lot of weekend warriors who are wasting a lot of time and energy and getting very few results because of their lack of training knowledge.

Casten's suggestions: "Hire a professional trainer who will educate you on how everything in the gym works. He'll also make sure your mechanics are correct when you use each piece of equipment." Hiring a professional trainer sounds pricey, but one thorough session will get you on the right track to doing it on your own. "You should also get a partner," Casten says. "You'll be less likely to blow off a workout knowing it'll affect him, too. And you'll have someone to motivate and encourage you between sets..

Just as it's important to exercise regularly, Kordecki warns that it's equally important to keep your pride under control. "We tend to think we can still do something we did at 18, even though it's been a number of years and we're not in the same condition." If you don't listen to your body and only listen to your ego, you risk overstressing your muscles, which can-lead to injury.

You must also use the same logic if you re slightly injured but don't want to miss the "big game" on Sunday.

"Unless you're making a handsome salary playing the sport, don't play when you're not 100 percent," Kordecki says. "A slight injury can easily become a serious one, not only causing you great pain and suffering, but keeping you from your work and other responsibilities. And for what? A $2 trophy?"

Pavlatos says his toughest patients are runners who won't give it a rest. "They tend to have an injury like tendinitis that's caused by overexercising I tell them, `You can't run 10 miles a day if you want to stop the inflammation.' A month later they're back with the same complaint, explaining that they've cut their runs to eight miles a day. So why hasn't the pain gone away?"

Nursing the Wounds

When those inevitable injuries do occur, how do you nurse yourself back to normal? "For most mild sprains and strains, its best to remember the acronym RICE, which stands for rest, ice, compression, and elevation," Daniels says. "But if the pain seems to linger for several days, make sure to see your physician. You may have a more serious injury, like a slight tear or fracture," he adds.

For nagging injuries like pulled hamstrings, a sore back, or a hurt shoulder, Pavlatos recommends ice massages. "Just fill up a small paper cup with water and freeze it. Then tear off the lip of the cup and work it into the injury until there's a numbness. This technique is a lot more effective than simply laying an ice pack over the injured area."

RELATED ARTICLE: Tips for Pain-free Play

If you are less active than you used to be but feel the urge to get back to your old form, here's what the experts suggest:

* "Before you do anything, make sure you get a complete physical. Knowing your family medical history can detect a potential hereditary problem like heart disease."

--Chris Pavlatos.

* When you do begin your first workout, don't try to make up for lost time. "If you've taken on too much of a workout in the beginning, you're likely to break down the muscles you're using rather than build them up. Since your body will need time to repair itself, this could set you back a few weeks."

--John Daniels.

* "Working out once a week usually means you'll maintain but won't gain. But doing a little of something is always better than nothing."

--Michael Kordecki.