While basketball is not a contact sport like football, there is still a high risk of certain types of injuries associated with the sport. Basketball players frequently suffer ankle sprains, knee injuries, stress fractures, jammed fingers, injuries to the face and teeth and other common injuries to the back, shoulders and feet.
Though it is impossible for you to entirely eliminate the risk of injuries, there are some steps you can take to at least minimize that risk. Here are just a few of these strategies, many of which are informed by practicing physiotherapy in Brampton:
- Always participate in warmups: Properly warming up drastically reduces your risk of injury, because muscles that are cold are inflexible and thus more susceptible to tears and damage. A warmup will get your heart rate up and increase blood flow throughout your body, getting you properly prepared for strenuous physical activity. Engage in a warmup that includes jogging and relaxed shooting to get your body moving and your heart pumping.
- Dynamic stretching: Any time you’re warming up for activity, you should make sure your stretching is dynamic rather than static. This involves stretching activities you perform while moving, such as high-knee running, lunges, cariocas and more. Make this a part of every warmup—it gets you performing repetitive movements but not stretching the limits of your flexibility.
- Stay well trained: Outside of your basketball sessions, make sure you keep your body in good physical condition. Proper training, with the use of a professionally regimented training program including weight training, cardio and plyometrics, will not only keep you in better physical condition, but will also help with injury prevention in Brampton during your basketball season.
- Give yourself some rest: Overtraining can really damage your body in a hurry, so you should make sure you give yourself the rest and recuperation you need. This is actually one of the biggest reasons why athletes get injured, even if at their physical peak—every human body has limits that shouldn’t be crossed. Rest is crucial for recovering from minor injuries and for rejuvenating and ultimately strengthening the muscles and joints. Without the proper rest, you are much more likely to sustain injuries while playing basketball.
- Eat a well-balanced diet: The importance of good nutrition cannot be understated for all people, but particularly those who live highly active lifestyles. People who get a lot of exercise should have diets that are high in protein (to help build and strengthen muscle) and carbohydrates (to fuel the body), as well as a good balance of essential vitamins, minerals and fats. A nutritionist or doctor can recommend a good diet for you based on your age, activity level and health and fitness goals.
These are just a few examples of how you can use some principles of physiotherapy in Brampton to guard yourself against injuries during the basketball season. To learn more about our services, we encourage you to contact Paramount Physiotherapy & Sports Injuries Clinic or pay us a visit today.