12 Ways You Can Prevent Sport Injury

If you love playing sports or have experience with any of them, you know that showing up with the gear you need isn’t enough. While you are plating sports your body is prone to getting injuries, simply because you are playing sports. Although you are more prone to injuries as a growing child that doesn’t by any means mean that you are safe from sports injuries when you are an adult.

But don’t worry. You can avoid most injuries like strains, sprains and broken bones, just by understanding how your body works and what precautions to take before putting your body through the physical activities unprepared.

Have Physical Condition

Before you even start thinking about starting a sport or training, know that you need to have a proper physical condition. Regularly do conditioning exercises that are specifically made for the sport you are going to. It is important that you train slowly but surely. Sports cannot be learned overnight. In order to condition your body, you need to work long and hard.

Warm-up

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This is the first rule to all sports, you must warm-up before engaging in any sports. Warm-ups prepare your body, heart, and mind for the training you are about to do. It gradually raises your heart rate, improves your mobility and warms up all of the muscles in your body and prepares it for rapid movements. It will allow the oxygen to reach your muscles, ligaments, and tendons and make them more flexible.

Always Wear Protective Gear

If you are playing a sport that has physical contact with other people you need to wear protective gear. By not wearing protective equipment, great and devices that protect you, injuries will occur. This also includes things like helmets, gloves, pads, mouth guards and other protective equipment.

If you don’t play a sport in which you come into physical contact with others you still need protective gear. Things like running shoes are made to improve your performance and protect your feet and knees from injuries.

Have Enough Rest

Everyone knows that sleep is a vital part of your body’s recovery and has a huge role in your overall performance. Sleep will make your body stronger and it will prevent you from feeling fatigued and it will help you concentrate on what you are doing, therefore, it will prevent injuries caused by poor judgment.

Don’t Push Yourself Too Far

Always listen to your body. When you are playing sports, you need to start slowly and ease your body into ivy to avoid straining your muscles or any injuries. Don’t push yourself beyond your limits, work hard and be persistent.

Work On Your Technique

In theory, the most efficient way to improve your performance is by working and improving your technique. Most people are not aware that your physical building is just a tiny factor in your overall performance. For example, when you are doing gymnastics you need to focus on improving your body technique so you can perform better.

Stay Hydrated

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The human body is made out of 60 percent water. When you are exercising you are losing that water. Therefore you need to replace the water you lost by staying hydrated. Water is an essential part of maintaining blood volume, allowing your muscles to contract and regulation your temperature. If you are an athlete it is recommended to consume drinks that are rich in electrolytes.

Cool Down

Cooling down is as important as warming up. After your training, you need to spend at least 10 minutes doing simple exercises that will return your heart rate to a normal pace. When you are cooling down you are letting your body to handle all the excess wastes and allow your muscles to get a proper flow of oxygen and nutrients.

Stretching is The Key

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By working on your flexibility you are also preventing your body from being injured. Because if you have poor flexibility your muscles are tight and tendons short and that equals an injury waiting to happen. Once again, for example, gymnasts have to do shoulder mobility exercises so their shoulders can handle the weight being put on them without injuring them. You need to improve and maintain your flexibility. After your body has had time to cool down make sure you stretch properly.

Take Breaks

If you have some days when you have long training sessions, you need to take a break so you let your mind and body recover and regain the energy you lost. If you don’t take small breaks between sets your mind will push your body to work when it’s tired and that will lead to injuries. Therefore you need to take breaks to let your body rest and mind refocus.

Stop When Pain Occurs

As most people are aware that pain is the most common symptom of injury. If you feel any kind of pain that is intolerable, you need to take a break. If you have an injury, the pain will be followed by swelling, numbing, stiffness, redness and many other things. You can feel pain everywhere on your body even if you think that you are using the part that is hurting. If you think that you have an injury you need to see a sports therapist as soon as possible.

Eat Healthy and Regularly

Having a proper diet is really important if you are doing any kind of exercise. Having a good nutrition plan is the foundation of a good fitness plan. When you are training your body is using the nutrients that you consume and turning them into energy. If you are training it is very important that you eat regular small meals that will fuel your body.

Your body is a tool and you need to take care of it. Never push yourself past your limits, because it will cause injuries and then you won’t be able to train. It is important that you stay safe and healthy in order to accomplish things.