Quick Tips: How to Prevent Sports Injury

High participation in athletic activities of all kinds, at all ages, is normal. Consequently, the number of reported sports injuries are also escalating. According to the Consumer Product Safety Commission, more than 3.5 million annual sports-related injuries among the youth of today under age 15 are treated in hospitals, doctors’ offices, clinics, ambulatory surgery centers and hospital emergency rooms in the United States.

However, many injuries are preventable. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, up to 50 percent of all athletic injuries may be avoided. The National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases conservatively estimates that athletic injury rates may be reduced by 25 percent if all sports players follow essential safety, conditioning and preventive strategies.

Sports injuries are frequently caused by the overuse or misuse of a muscle or joint. They may also be results of inadequate training in certain sports, structural defects in the body, and weaknesses in the body. Certainly, there are prevention methods that may significantly reduce the risk of injury. Listed below are few tips on how to prevent sports injuries.

• Consult your physician before starting any exercise or sports program.
• Ensure proper physical condition to play a sport.
• Wear appropriate protective gear and equipment such as helmets, protective pads, and others.
• Warm up and stretch properly before any physical activity.
• Cool down properly after exercise or sports.
• Know and abide by the rules of the sport.
• Stay hydrated.
• Avoid playing when very tired or in pain.
• Do not play when you are injured.
• Take sports lessons and training.
• Know when to stop playing.

Research studies provide you with helpful possibilities about the cause of sports injuries. There are two factors that outweigh the rest when it comes to predicting a sports injury. These factors are history of injury and high number of consecutive days of training.

1. Previous injuries to a muscle or joint tend to develop into chronic problem areas for many athletes. If you have been injured before then you are much more likely to get hurt than an athlete who has been injury free. It is extremely important to warm up, and stretch previously injured parts. Regular exercises have a way of uncovering the weak areas of the body.
2. Additionally, recovery days reduce injury rates by giving muscles and connective tissues an opportunity to repair between training sessions. Scientific studies suggest that reducing the number of consecutive days of training maylower the risk of injury.