5 Quick Tips to Help Prevent Sports Injuries
Have you ever gotten hurt or injured playing a sport? Sports injuries are all-too-common, especially in team sports. Not only that, when working out, it is easy to not know what correct postures or how to do certain exercises the right way which also leads to injuries. With this in mind, it is crucial for a person to understand how to prevent sports injuries. Here are five quick injury prevention tips.
Be in good enough physical shape before you start:
All-too-often, a person will go to the gym, start jogging or playing sports after years of inactivity. While it is easy to admire a person who wants to get back into shape and feel good again, it is wise to take it easy. If you are looking to get back into ‘playing’ shape after years away from your sport, you should opt to ease into it and start out by simply being more active throughout the day, start simple. Try walking, light jogging or using the cardiovascular machines at a gym in the lighter settings. With weight training after extended time away from exercising, you should focus on the basics and make sure to get your form down before proceeding into heavier weights. Even if you feel strong enough to do more, ease into it and focus on form to prevent injury.
Appropriate gear:
When looking to avoid sports injuries, listen to the experts and buy the best safety gear. In today’s age, it is very easy to find peer reviews on almost any item before purchasing but reviews from expert sources should be considered. While getting your gear, make sure it is the right size! This may sound like a no-brainer tips but it is easy to assume something will fit when shopping online and once you receive it, if it fits a little off, you may think it’s too much trouble to return it and ask for another. Return it and get what fits and feels perfect to you.
Warm up:
You have heard this before, warm up before playing a sport or doing any cardiovascular activities. We all know it, but it is easy to ignore it. Take the 5-10 minutes to properly stretch and warm up or you might end up calling our office with a sports-related injury.
Rest days:
While some may think it is just a waste of time, it really is important to rest. If something hurts, take a couple of days off. 2 or 3 days of rest is better than 2 or 3 months of recovery after a pulled or torn muscle.
Do not ignore small problems:
Often, we will suffer from minor aches and pains after working out or playing sports assuming it will go away. If the ache or pain lingers longer than a week, talk to a doctor before that minor problem turns into a major one. Even when professional athletes experience small or seemingly minor problems, they take time off from training to heal.
Hopefully these tips are helpful to you. If you experience extended pain or sustain an injury, please contact us for a free consultation so we can help you get back into the game. For a free consultation please call (773) 763-2800 or schedule your free consultation clicking here.