Tennis elbow, sprained ankle, pulled muscle and the list goes on of what occurs to our bodies during sporting activities. Minor sports injuries cause us to forgo our favorite sport for a few days until the body heals, but often during the healing process we lose interest and/or motivation for the sport and jeopardize our long-term health. That’s the bad news. The good news is most sports injuries are preventable. If we will take these five precautions before, during and after sports, we can remain injury-free and actively maintain a healthy exercise program.
Warm Up and Cool Down
Prevent muscle injury by warming up before engaging in sports and cooling down afterwards. Muscles are brittle when cold, and jumping right into an activity without a slow warm up of the muscles sets the stage for muscle injury. At the end of physical activity, do the same movement or walk around at a slower pace for a few minutes to allow muscles time to cool down before they come to a complete stop. Five to ten minutes before for a warm up and five to ten minutes after sports for a cool down helps prevent muscles injury.
Take Sports Lessons from a Pro
Many sports injuries occur from improper technique. Tennis elbow is often the result of holding the tennis racket improperly. Ill fitting or improper equipment can also result in sports injuries, so invest in a few lessons from a pro in the sport of choice to learn how to prevent injuries by using the proper techniques and equipment.
Variety Prevents Injury
If you run everyday, sooner or later your knees and feet will protest in some painful way. Adding variety to a favorite sport or exercise will help prevent overuse and injury to specific body parts. Mix up the running routine with some swimming to take the pressure off of knees and feet.
Alternate Sports Intensity
If you do a sporting activity that engages the lower body muscles one day, engage in activity that works the upper body muscles the next day. Alternate running with weight lifting to give muscle groups time to recover.
Listen To Your Body
Your body is talking; are you listening? After engaging in sports, there is a normal level of tiredness and/or aching to be expected. Anything beyond the normal level is the body’s way of crying out for attention. Listen to your body and if pain, especially in the joints, is present after engaging in physical activity, rest and see your doctor. To continue engaging in sports while injured may cause more serious or permanent damage to the body.
Disclaimer: The information contained in this article is for educational purposes only and should not be used for diagnosis or to guide treatment without the opinion of a health professional. Any reader who is concerned about his or her health should contact a doctor for advice.
Source
- 4 Ways to Prevent Common Sports Injuries article on LiveStrong.com website accessed June 28, 2001
Helen Stewart - Ms. Stewart resides in Georgia where she is enjoying her career as a freelance writer. She writes for many online publications including ...
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