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How to Reduce Sports and Exercise Injuries
Lower your
risk of sustaining sports and exercise injuries before they sideline you
from participating in and enjoying the invigoration of physical activity
and the competition of your favorite sports. The following recommendations for reducing
the risk of sports injuries are sensible suggestions whether you
participate in organized sports, play sports on the weekends with your
buddies, exercise at home or at a local gym.
1. You usually
have to get a physical to participate in most organized sports, but
getting a physical from your doctor to make sure you are fit enough for
rigorous physical activity is a good idea even if you are not required
to get one.
2. If you are
transitioning from being a spectator to being an active participant in
sports and increased physical activity, make it a slow and steady
transition to reduce your risk of injury. Stretch your muscles before
the game or a full exercise session to limber them up. Muscles with some
flex in them are less likely to be pulled or torn.
3. Get to the
gym for workouts in between games and your regular exercise sessions to
increase your fitness, strength, agility and endurance levels on and off
the playing field. Strengthening these bolsters your execution skills
and also reduces your risk of injury.
4. Dress
appropriately for exercising or for the sport you are participating in.
The right clothing and the proper shoes designed for the activity you
are engaging in will reduce the risks of injury and allows you to
comfortably be active. Contact sports require additional equipment like
helmets and pads which lower the risk of injury during high impact
colliding with competitors or other objects.
5. Exercising
or participating in outdoor sports when it is very hot or cold is
dangerous and can result in severe injuries like heat exhaustion or
heat stroke in hot weather to frost bite and hyperthermia in cold
weather. Death can even occur with these injuries.
6. Keep
yourself well hydrated by drinking water and even beverages containing
electrolytes. You should drink at least eight ounces of water
before beginning activity and continue doing so at regular intervals
throughout and after exercising or participating in a sport.
7. Hire a
personal trainer to offer you education and guidance on how to correctly
exercise to reduce the risks of injuries and for expert training to
ready yourself for competitive sports play. A personal trainer can help
you safely improve your fitness, strength, agility, and endurance levels
for better performance and reduced risk of injury.
8. Sign up for
some yoga classes and hypnotherapy sessions. Yoga stretching exercises
increase your flexibility and yoga can also help you to develop strong
focusing skills. Hypnotherapy can also help you develop stronger skills
for focusing. Many exercise and sport injuries happen as a result of not
focusing on what you were doing in an activity. A focused mind while
active will reduce the risk of injury.
9. Regular
physical activity is important for health and to stay in shape enough to
participate well in exercise and sports activities. It is equally
important not to abuse your body by not allowing it to rest and
rejuvenate between rigorous bouts of physical activity. An exhausted
body is at greater risk for injury. Pay attention as well to cues that
you have pushed your body to its maximum to reduce the risks of injury
due to over stressing muscles and joints.
As careful
as you try to be and certainly taking steps to reduce exercise and
sports injuries lessens the chances of you being sidelined long term,
injuries can still happen. Muscle sprains and minute tears, are more
common than bone fractures and can usually be treated at home. There are
four things you can do to keep the injury from becoming worse, lessen
pain, and even encourage quicker recovery from an injury. Rest the
affected appendage, affix a compression bandage, apply ice, and elevate.
In no time at all you will be back on your feet and back in the game.
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