Sports injuries are a common occurrence for athletes young and old alike—even when taking the best precautions. It’s impossible to calculate the risks associated with tackling a player in football, sliding into a base in baseball or defending a free kick in soccer—these are just aspects of the game that have consequences attached to them at all times. Everything from minor muscle pulls to full-fledged bone breaks can occur in any number of ways, sending seasoned athletes to Brampton sports injury rehab, despite their best efforts to play the game.
But, despite the random happenstance of injuries that come about, there are certain ways to minimize your risk of suffering one. Take a look at five great ways to keep yourself on the field and out of Brampton sports injury rehab with a sports-related injury:
- Wear the proper equipment. This is a given for any sport! You wouldn’t tackle another football player without the right padding or try to grip the turf on a soccer field without appropriate cleats and in fact, it’s this specially designed equipment that’s keeping you safe when you’re participating in these activities. Don’t buy cheap equipment that’s flimsy and ineffective—make sure you invest in solid equipment that’s going to keep you safe at all times.
- Stretch your muscles. Some of the most common sports injuries are muscle pulls and tears, which can happen to anyone. The best way to defend yourself against these pulls and tears is to always stretch your muscles before participating in an activity. Even if you’re feeling limber already, take a few minutes to warm up your body and shake out your muscles—doing so will keep them resilient during your play.
- Play fair and with integrity. Sports have rules for a reason: to protect the players participating in them. There’s no better example than football—a full contact sport that’s built on a multitude of rules. If you perform an illegal hit in football, such as a chop-block or helmet-to-helmet hit, you’re violating the rules and in turn, putting yourself and the other player in the way of unnecessary harm.
- Condition your body. No one gets off their couch and becomes a star player in the same day: it takes dedication and training to be a great athlete. Far and above just honing your skills, conditioning your body for athletics also helps to support the strain that you’ll be putting on it. Without proper conditioning and attention to specific bodily needs, you’re liable to end up in Brampton sports injury rehab sooner, rather than later.
- Know your limits. Even athletes that are at the top of their game suffer injuries. Why? Much of the time, it’s because they push themselves past their limits in order to achieve greatness. Knowing your limits is a good thing: it’ll prevent you from hurting yourself and cutting your rise to fame short. Consider this: if you know you can bench press 120lbs, it doesn’t make sense to jump to 150lbs one day—you’ll push past your limit too fast and too hard, almost certainly resulting in an injury.
It’s the time of year when athletes are itching to get back on the field to play their various sports—make sure you’re adhering to the five variables above before you start playing again. Your body will thank you and you’ll stay out of Brampton sports injury rehab and on the field where you belong.