Walter Mady's work keeps him in touch daily with injured athletes of all ages as well as skill levels, ranging from beginner to professional.

He is a physical therapist and partner in a Columbia practice, Howard County Physical Therapy and Sports Rehabilitation, that specializes in exercise and sports-related injuries. He has another practice in Lutherville.

Mady, a native New Yorker who is partners with Lynda Mules, Eric Gordon and James Mainhart, is a former competitive weightlifter who likes talking, as he does here, about what athletes can and should do to avoid the need for rehabilitation.

Now, therapists say they are seeing many more adults with sports-related injuries. Why?

Adults have always been pretty active in sports. We're seeing more exercise and sports injuries among adults but more, as well, in the younger athlete.

Some of the adults are suddenly starting to play sports again without doing anything to prepare themselves for increased activity. They may not be in shape and may be doing too much too soon. When we get older, we need to be in shape to play - and not try to play our way into shape. We need to do some sort of preventive conditioning.

Some of the younger athletes are getting hurt because of excessive participation year-round, or playing more than one sport at a time, which doesn't give the body time to restore itself.

What are typical injuries you're seeing?

The most common joint injury we see is the shoulder.

Many sports involve repetitive movement and stress to the shoulder. Tennis, baseball, volleyball, softball, swimming and weightlifting - they all involve the shoulder.

The type of shoulder injury we see is usually rotator cuff [a group of muscles and tendons essential to the shoulder's movement] tendinitis.

The second-most common area involves the knee.

What is causing a majority of the injuries you are seeing? Contact? Lack of knowledge of the body? Improper warm-ups?

You do see trauma-related injuries, such as sprains and strains, but those are not the most common injuries. The majority of injuries that we see are overuse injuries.

They occur when the body's ability to heal itself is overwhelmed. It can involve the accumulation of microtrauma [gradual wear and tear].

What corrective measures do you recommend for someone starting out on a more physical lifestyle?

It's to use a common-sense approach. If someone is starting an exercise program, like going to the health club or playing tennis, you start by getting a comprehensive physical. Not enough people do this.

Also, you've got to condition yourself if you want to play a sport. You've got to educate yourself about the particular sport or exercise.

A lot of people also are getting poor advice. They're trying to do it right, and they don't know who to turn to. People are turning to their doctor, personal trainers, physical therapists, etceteras, for advice, and sometimes this advice is lacking.

It is difficult to find people with a combination of experience and educational background. I see many people in health clubs doing potentially harmful exercises. People need to be a little bit more discerning about where they turn to for advice and education.

I don't consider any one profession to be the source for exercise expertise. If you want an expert in exercise, you need to look at their educational background and their experience in the exercise arena.

So, you are saying that people should learn more about themselves and about what they are trying to do?

They need to educate themselves about whatever exercise they're doing. They need to know how to prepare themselves for playing a sport.

What exercises carry a higher risk of injury? They need to learn about their own strengths and weaknesses.

They need to learn about the body. People who start exercising or playing a sport should get a good musculoskeletal evaluation first. This will help identify potential deficits or problems they may have that need attention.

What are some things that people need to realize but don't?

Well, if you get an injury such as an anterior cruciate ligament [knee] or rotator cuff tear, it may affect you for the rest of your life.

The question is, are you willing to trade playing games for something that will affect you for the rest of your life?

I don't think people think that far ahead. Exercise is great. Playing sports is great, but be careful about your exercise selection and ... your sport selection.

People aren't aware that a lot of injuries that occur with sports and exercise can be prevented. ... It's hard to get people into that mode ... to understand the value of prevention.

With age comes limitations.