Fall is just around the corner and with that means going back to school and jumping into your favorite sport. Now, due to the pandemic, some sports are still looking to make a comeback, like your contactless sports such as baseball and tennis, but others are still in question, which are football and basketball. Whichever sport comes back, you or your children could be prone to injury whether contactless or not. Here are some tips to keep you safe while being active in the sports you love.
Staying in Shape
Staying in shape is just as important during the season as it is in the off-season. The sport itself won’t get you ready to perform in a game, but it is the practice and training that will strengthen your body to get it in the shape it needs to be. If you are in a school sports league or recreational league, be sure to follow your coach’s conditioning regimen or create one to prevent any injuries from occurring while practicing or playing in a competition.
Follow the Rules of the Sport
It doesn’t matter how competitive you may be, following the rules of any sport will prevent you from experiencing a serious injury or getting kicked off the team. Know how the sport is played before getting involved. Ask plenty of questions if you don’t understand how to perform a certain task such as throwing a football or baseball, sliding into bases, or whacking a tennis ball with a racket. Also, find a rule book or ask your coach about what illegal procedures are in place. Rules are meant to be followed to keep you safe. Break the rules and suffer the consequences or follow the rules and stay safe? The choice is yours and yours alone.
Wearing Protective Gear and Equipment
When you wear protective gear properly such as helmets, mouth guards, and shin guards, they protect you from getting hurt. For example, football helmets have been upgraded substantially over the years from just protecting your head to significantly decreasing the stress upon a player’s brain from the impact of another player or contact with the ground after being tackled. Be sure you have the correct sizes in gear and equipment to protect yourself from injury or causing injury due to ill-fitting apparel.
Warm-up and Cooldown
Just as making sure you’re in shape for a particular sport, it is important to always warm-up and cooldown after conditioning. Warming up before a practice is like adding oil to metal. It lubricates your joints and gets your muscles activated and ready to perform certain tasks associated with the sport you’re playing. Once a practice is over, it is even more important to cool down your muscles and slow down your heart rate. Skipping a cooldown could result in you passing out from an overactive heart rate or tearing a muscle from not stretching out properly.
Rest
Lastly and above all else, be sure your body is getting plenty of rest before and after practices and games. Resting is the most crucial part of an athlete’s training. If you don’t get enough of it for your body in addition to a good night’s sleep, you’re setting yourself up for injuries. At all cost, avoid activity when very tired as this can cause you to not think clearly during a game or practice.
Playing sports is great way to keep in shape and stay healthy, but if and when an injury occurs, contact us to diagnose and treat the issue at its core. We are here to remove the medical setbacks so that you can get back to the sports you enjoy.