5 Essential Tips for Avoiding Sports Injuries

Sports injuries are common for athletes, but they are avoidable. Getting a sports injury can completely ruin the way you play a sport for a period of time. It may even mean that you miss a whole season or don’t get to play ever again. It’s important to do all that you can to ensure you don’t get injured while playing your favourite sports. Here are a few ways to avoid injury.

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Always Warm Up
A warm up is the best way to prepare yourself for playing sports. It’s not just a good way to prepare your body, but it also helps to prepare your mind for sports that take a lot of mental stimulation. You can warm your body up by gradually speeding up your heart rate and warming your muscles with stretches. As you move around, you’ll notice that your body becomes more mobile and functional, preparing itself for higher intensity sports.

Cool Down
Your body going straight from an increased heart rate to a resting heart rate isn’t suitable for anyone. Your heart rate should come down gradually, just as it was speeded up. Relaxing your body with slow stretches and less intense exercises is the best way to make sure your body doesn’t suffer from unnecessary soreness the next day. It’s also good for your blood pressure. Running straight to the shower after doing sports won’t give your body the chance to come down as slowly as it should.

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Technique
Perfecting your technique can help protect you from injury. There are many athletes who have suffered from injuries because of incorrect technique. Focusing on getting your technique right will help you to keep your body in tip top shape. If you do suffer an injury because of your technique, you can get help from OPA Ortho, a specialized orthopedics clinic. The best way to maintain a good technique is to always practice with people who know what they’re doing and train with professional coaches.

Use the Right Gear
Wearing and using the right gear in sports is vital to preventing injuries. Not only are they protective for each player but technology advances mean that they are now specifically designed for each individual. This is especially true of footwear in sports like running, football and ice hockey. Unsurprisingly, one of the most important protective items is headgear. Playing a sport without vital headgear is foolish, even when just practicing.

Get Rest
It can sometimes seem like the more practice you get, the better you’ll be. However, without proper rest you may notice that your game becomes poor. That’s because rest is essential for the brain to process what’s going on. Without the ability to process the sport properly, injury becomes more likely. Resting at several intervals is important for every athlete. Taking at least one day a week off from training and playing will give your body what it needs to perform properly.

It’s impossible to avoid injuries from happening but giving yourself the best protection is half the battle.