How to Prevent Common Sports Injuries

Whether you’re a young athlete with goals of playing sports at a higher level in the future, or you’re an adult who’s involved in a recreational league at your local gym, sports provide a great opportunity for people to get active, improve their health, and be part of a community of likeminded people.

However, when you’re pushing your body to perform like you want it to during a sporting event, it’s easy to get injured. Muscles strain when your adrenaline starts pumping in the hear of competition. Extra stress is placed on your joints, and it’s easier to tear ligaments when you push your body in order to win.

Fortunately, there are some steps that you can take to help cut down on the risk of injury. This not only allows you to keep taking part in the hobbies that you love, but also ensures that you’re protecting your body so you can become an even healthier version of yourself.

Today, learn more about some common sports injuries and how you can prevent them.

Take Time to Stretch

One of the most important parts of preventing common sports injuries takes place before you ever take the field or the court. By stretching, you give your body time to warm up and get muscles and ligaments loose before you start putting them through the rigorous strain of competition.

Stretching also plays a crucial role in improving circulation, which can also decrease the likelihood of injuries. When muscles and tissue get more blood flow, they remain more elastic, which helps you avoid those feelings of tightness that often come when you exercise without stretching.

While there’s certainly nothing wrong with focusing most of your stretching time on the muscles that will be the most active while you’re playing the sport of your choice, most sports require you to use your entire body.

Make sure that you’re stretching everything from your neck and shoulders to your calves and ankles. Spending as little as 10 or 15 minutes stretching before you play a sport can help you prevent injuries that could cost you months of activity.

Use the Right Equipment

An athlete is only as safe as the tools that he or she uses. When you’re taking part in a sport, it’s a good idea to invest in the best equipment that you can afford.

No, this doesn’t mean that you need to go spend hundreds of dollars on a pair of cleats for your rec-league softball night. However, it does mean that if you can afford to spend some money on a pair of cleats, you’ll be less likely to twist your ankle when making a catch in the outfield.

You don’t need to dress like LeBron James to play basketball at your local Y, but it’s a good idea to invest in shoes that provide plenty of ankle support.

While footwear is certainly the most common type of equipment that athletes invest in, regardless of their sport, there are others. If you have a history of knee problems, be sure that you have a brace or some sort of support for your knee.

If you take part in contact sports, such as hockey or football, you absolutely need to get a good helmet, pads, and eye protection. By taking the time to make sure that you have the equipment you need to keep yourself safe, you can enjoy your sport without fear of injury and will be less likely to be relegated to the sideline after suffering a preventable injury.

Practice Good Technique

Whether you’re a high school athlete or a weekend warrior, it’s easy to see your favorite players perform on TV and think that you can go out there and replicate their movements. That’s simply not the case. The athletes who you watch on the biggest stages in the world spend years mastering their craft, meaning they have the right technique.

If you step up to the plate in your local softball league and try to swing a bat like Aaron Judge, there’s a better chance than not that you’re going to hurt yourself. Not only is his body in immaculate condition, but he’s also spent years training to swing the bat the right way.

No, you don’t need to invest in professional coaching, but practicing the right technique, whether you’re running at the local track or playing high school football under rows of Friday night lights is crucial when it comes to injury prevention.

Increase Flexibility and Strengthen Muscles

The most common sports injuries usually come from a lack of strength, flexibility, or both. For instance, if you’re playing soccer but your hamstrings aren’t strong or flexible enough for the amount of running that’s required for a match, you’re much more likely to suffer a pulled or even torn hamstring than you would be if your lower body was stronger or more flexible.

This aspect of preventing sports injuries requires you to put in some work, even when the game isn’t going on. By strengthening your muscles through weight training or resistance training, and improving your flexibility, you can cut down on injuries that stem from weakness or tightness.

Most sports require some sudden, forceful movements, and the best way to prevent them is to make sure your muscles are flexible and strong.

Input Impacts Output

The food that you put into your body plays a direct role in how well your body performs when you need it to be at its best. While you probably don’t need to adopt the same type of diet that a pro athlete relies on to play golf with your friends on the weekend, you can improve or diminish your body’s capabilities with the food that you eat.

Ultimately, food is fuel, and if you put bad fuel in your body, you can’t expect it to operate like you need it to. In the same way that you wouldn’t put bad gas in a luxury vehicle, you can’t consume nothing but junk food and expect your body to run like a well-oiled machine.

Hydration is also an important part of preventing common sports injuries. Your body needs water and electrolytes to achieve peak performance.

Muscles, joints, and ligaments all need hydration, especially when they’re taxed during competitive sporting events. By making sure that your well-hydrated before, during, and even after you participate in a sport, you can protect yourself from many types of common sports injuries.

Listen to Your Body

Your body will almost always tell you when it’s had enough of what you’re doing. If you’re into weightlifting, you’re probably familiar with the idea of lifting “to failure,” which means you stop when you can no longer perform a clean rep.

While some enthusiasts believe this is the best way to weight train, the truth is that your body usually signals that it’s time to stop before you get to that point, and a single failed rep can lead to serious injury.

Whether you’re running, throwing a ball, or playing a game of pickup basketball with your friends, knowing how to listen to what your body is telling you is vital when trying to avoid injury.

If you notice that one particular part of your body suddenly tightens up more than usual during a sport, don’t continue to try to push through it, as it often leads to injury. Your body will quickly let you know when it’s reached its limit, and it’s crucial that you’re attuned to it.

Injury Prevention

Whether you’re just getting started in sports or you’ve been playing for years, preventing injuries is largely about taking care of your body before you play and after you’ve pushed yourself to the limit.

By following these tips and listening to experts in the field, you can cut down on the likelihood of injuries, allowing you to have a joyous, healthy experience during the game.