Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jason Schmidt, left, grabs his right hamstring during a play at first base. Hamstring injuries are among the most common for professional athletes and people who play for fun. (Branimir Kvartuc/Associated Press)

The weather's warmed up, your favourite TV shows are in reruns and you're ready to get off the couch. You've signed up for the company softball team, maybe invested in a new bicycle or some in-line skates.

This is going to be the year that you get fit. You're set to get that not-quite-as-young-as-it-used-to-be body moving again. But you'd better watch your step or you may wind up as one of the estimated one in 25 people who seek medical treatment for a sports injury every year.

Most people who suffer minor sports injuries don't bother to seek treatment — many won't need to. But even a minor injury can turn serious if aggravated and left untreated.

Most sports injuries are caused by one or more of the following factors:

• Poor training methods.
• Structural abnormalities.
• Weakness in muscles, tendons, or ligaments.
• Unsafe exercise environments.
• Sudden trauma — you run into the second baseman.

What is a sprain?

It's an injury to a ligament — the fibrous tissue that connects your bones. You suffer a sprain if you over stretch or tear one or more ligaments. Sprains usually occur as a result of a sudden fall, a twist or a blow that forces a joint out of its normal position. Perhaps you leaped for that Frisbee in a game of ultimate and came down hard on the side of your foot and felt something go in your ankle.

Sprains can occur in any joint, but they are most common in the knee and ankle, because they support your body weight.

If you've suffered a sprain, you will experience mild to severe pain right away, possible swelling in the joint, and bruising in the affected area either right away or a few hours after your injury.

What is a strain?

If you over stretch or twist a muscle or tendon, you will suffer a strain to that muscle or tendon. There are two types of strains: acute and chronic.

An acute strain can happen in any of the following ways:

• You suffer a blow to your body.
• You over stress a muscle.
• You improperly lift an object.

Chronic strains result from overuse or repetitive movements of muscles or tendons. If you play a lot of tennis, you may be susceptible to straining the muscles in your forearms. If you lift weights, there are whole groups of muscles you can strain — if you overdo it or don't do your exercises properly.

If you've strained a muscle, you can expect to feel stiffness, soreness and tenderness several hours after the injury. Mild strains often go away with a bit of rest. More severe strains may require physiotherapy.

Any injured tendon can suffer permanent damage if you continue to exercise without letting it heal.

What are some common injuries associated with sprains and strains?

Hamstring strain If you haven't done much in the way of physical activity and you take up a game like softball or tennis, you may be at risk of straining the hamstring — the group of muscles at the back of your upper leg. The quick lateral movements required to go after the ball in tennis can be tough on you, if you're not in shape or haven't warmed up enough. Similarly, if you're standing around on a damp baseball field and you try to break into a sprint to go after a fly ball, you may feel that telltale tug at the back of your leg.

Quadriceps strain Similar to hamstring but on the front of the leg. You'll feel a burning sensation in these muscles if you're doing squats with too much weight, too much downhill running or intense cycling.

Achilles tendon This is one tendon you really want to take care of. A severe Achilles injury will keep you off your feet for a long time and may permanently affect your performance in your favourite sports. The Achilles tendon connects the calf muscle to your heel. It is the thickest and most powerful tendon in your body. If it is cut, you won't be able to use that leg for running or jumping. If you're not in shape, you can rupture the tendon with sudden sprints or quick turns — lunging for a squash ball, for instance, can leave you lying on the floor with no hope of returning to the game for months.

Tennis elbow You don't need to be playing tennis to suffer from tennis elbow. Any repetitive movement involving your forearm can strain the muscles in that area. Throwing a softball without warming up properly can injure you just as trying to force open a jammed garage door can.

How do I avoid getting injured?

All strenuous exercise stresses your body. Every time you go for a hard run, for instance, you are causing microscopic damage to muscle fibre, but the muscle heals stronger than it was before you exercised. The trick is you must allow your body to recover properly between hard exercise sessions. To do that, you should not put the same group of muscles through hard workouts two days in a row. That doesn't mean you can't exercise two days in a row or that you can't run two days in a row. You either do a different exercise or follow a hard day's workout with an easy day.

Other ways of avoiding injury include:

• Use the proper equipment. Don't play softball in bowling shoes.
• Use the correct technique. If you play tennis, follow through properly on your shots. Don't rely on your wrists alone to get the ball over the net.
• Warm up and cool down properly. Your muscles work better when they are warm. If you choose to stretch, do it when your muscles are warm.
• Do not increase the frequency or intensity of your exercise program quickly. For instance, if you are running, do not increase your mileage by more than 10 per cent a week.

How do I treat minor sprains and strains?

With a generous helping of R.I.C.E.

Rest Give yourself a couple of days off. Don't stress the area for about 48 hours.

Ice Ice the injured area as soon as possible after the injury. Apply an ice pack for no more than 20 minutes at a time. More than that and you risk damaging the tissue. Continue icing — 20 minutes on, 20 minutes off — for the first few hours, then several times a day after that.

Compression Compress the area by wrapping a pressure bandage around the injury. If you're feeling numbness, tingling or increased pain, you've wrapped the bandage too tightly. Loosen it.

Elevation Elevate the injured area above the level of your heart. This should help reduce swelling.

When should I seek the help of a medical professional?

If you're feeling intense pain and can't put any weight on the injured joint, can't walk more than a few steps, can't bend the joint properly or are feeling numbness in any part of the injured area, either go to a hospital emergency room or see your doctor. You should also seek help if you've injured the same area several times in the past or are unsure how serious the injury is.

Peter Hadzipetros covers health and fitness for CBC News Online

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