Playing sports can be a great way to keep yourself active and healthy. Whether you engage in competitive sports or play for fitness reasons, you don’t want to end up out of the game with an injury. If you do get an injury, you will need to get it treated as soon as possible and you need to find a specialist like Pydisetty.
Here are some top tips to follow to help avoid getting hurt.
- Make sure to warm-up before you begin
One great way to prevent injury is to warm-up before playing. Completing some warm-ups before playing raises your muscle temperature, increasing muscle flexibility and allowing them to contract and relax much more efficiently. This flexibility means that the muscles are less likely to be overstretched and injured.
A warm-up routine should last for a minimum of 6 minutes, but you can extend the routine if you need to. Some warm-up exercise examples include knee lifts and marching on the spot. Gentle stretching can also help to warm-up, but be careful not to overstretch or stretch in one position as this can lead to injury.
2. Protective gear and equipment
Always make sure that you are wearing the correct protective gear or equipment for your sport. This can include equipment such as knee and elbow pads, helmets, mouth guards and gloves. The equipment is there to prevent injuries to your knees, elbows, head, teeth, and hands. You may feel “uncool” for wearing it, but it will really help you in the long term. Back in 2017, professional snowboard Xavier De Le Rue was saved by his helmet: “Today I was lucky, riding really mellow powder I hit a rock and then hit more rocks really hard with my head and blacked out for a while.”
“Without a helmet, the doctor thinks I could easily have died.”
3. Drink water to stay hydrated
Whilst playing your sport, remember to take some time out to drink water and keep yourself hydrated. All of the running and exercising involved in playing sports is hard work that warms up the body. Drinking water helps to regulate your body temperature, keep your joints working, and keep your body happy and healthy. By making sure you stay topped up with water, you prevent dehydration, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke.
4. Don’t take part if you are injured
It may sound like an obvious point to follow, but many people try to push themselves to the limit. As a result, they end up overdoing it and creating a bigger issue. Being in pain is the way your body tells you that there is a problem. Pushing yourself through the pain can make the pain worse or lead to an even more serious injury. Your body can only heal if you allow yourself to take a break.
5. Make sure to take time to rest
Playing sports for a number of days back-to-back can increase your chance of injuries. Therefore, it is important to have a healthy balance between playing and resting. Rest is not a sign of weakness. Taking the time to rest or have recovery days can help you to grow stronger, stop you from pushing yourself over the limit, prevent injuries, and avoid fatigue by giving the muscles a chance to relax and repair.
If you are feeling tired, stay away from playing sport until you feel more rested. Being tired can mean that you cannot concentrate or focus properly, increasing your risk of becoming injured.
6. Create a fitness plan
Creating a fitness plan to help train for your sport is a great way to keep your body in peak physical condition. Only relying on the sport to keep yourself fit and healthy is a bad idea. By regularly following an effective training exercise, your body can stay in good shape, preventing injury and enabling you to engage in sports efficiently.
7. Follow the rules of the sport
The rules of a sport are not only there to keep the game running smoothly without any issues, but they are also there to keep the players safe. Whatever sport you play, it is crucial for you to know and follow the rules. Always comply with the rules imposed by any judges, referees, and umpires moderating the game, and remember to respect the other players around you.