Six Ways to Avoid Sport Injuries
Watching your child play from the stands is more fun than watching them injured at home.
As summer begins to wrap up and fall sports start, be sure to follow these five tips to help you prevent sport injuries.
- Stay conditioned.
Keeping your body is shape over the summer is one of the best ways to avoid injury. Conditioning helps ensure that muscles stay strengthened that are used during play.
- Don’t forget to hydrate.
Dehydration can easily be avoided by drinking water before and after exercise. Drinking fluids 30 minutes prior to participating in any activity is encouraged. Water breaks should also be taken every 15-20 minutes during activity. The more active you are the more fluids you should be putting back into your body. Don’t forget to bring extra water to stay hydrated!
- Make time for rest.
Athletes should take one to two days off during the week to rest. Resting during practices and games is also essential. This will help prevent overuse of muscles.
- Warm up and stretch.
Set aside time before every practice to stretch. Starting with 10 minutes of jogging or any light activity is helpful. Then go onto stretching major muscles used during the activity. Stretching is important before any activity because it releases muscle tension. Regular stretching not only helps to warm up your muscles but it also increases flexibility.
- Use recommended safety equipment.
Wearing proper equipment will not guarantee that no injuries will occur but it lowers the chances. Keep the neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee and shin areas protected by wearing proper gear. This includes pads, helmets, mouthpiece, face guards, protective cups and eyewear which should be worn at all times.
- Play safe.
Rules and regulations are set in place for a reason – to help prevent injuries. Make sure your children pay attention to what is being instructed by coaches and referees to help them play more safely with their team and their opponents.
Sources: safekids.org, aapn.org, childrensdmc.org
If your child has suffered from a sports related injury, our board certified sports medicine physicians are here to help. Our goal is to get athletes back to competition and the sports they enjoy.
Even with fall sports well underway, remember to get your child’s winter and spring sports physicals done as well. And why not get one that comes with no appointment and no wait time? Stop in to one of our Bronson FastCare locations!
We’re open Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.; Saturday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Bronson FastCare provides a wide range of treatments and services. It’s about getting help when you’re sick or itchy – with little or no wait, for one low price. Click here for more information on our other urgent care and emergency department locations in the Battle Creek, Kalamazoo and Paw Paw areas.
