Sports injuries are common but can be more easily avoided with a few practical sports injury prevention tips. Understanding the causes and adhering to these prevention tips will help you avoid your own sports injury.
No matter how hard you may try to avoid them,
there is always a risk of sports injury. And the more contact in a sport, the greater the risk of injury. Now, this doesn't mean that non-contact sports don't have injury risks at all. In fact, the most frequent sports injuries athletes and active adults suffer are due to overuse.
Some of the most common sports injuries occur to muscles, tendons (which connect our muscles to our bones) and ligaments (which connect our bones together). And the most frequent sports injuries are usually sprains (ligament injury) and strains (muscle injury) caused when an abnormal amount of stress is placed on tendons, joints, bones and muscle.
So as an active adult, how do you avoid sports injuries? While there's no simple answer, there are several steps you can take to reduce your risk of a ligament or tendon injury no matter what sport or activity you choose:
1. Strengthen your muscles - and not just the muscles you “think” you use in your sport. A balanced conditioning program exercises the entire body, so the proper muscles, tendons and ligaments support every movement you make. For example, in Basketball, it’s not just the lower body muscles that are used; building a strong core and upper body will not only help you avoid a tendon or ligament injury, but also add more power and control to your game.
2. Increase your flexibility - Stretching both before and after activity is vital to improving your flexibility and keeping your body in proper shape for activity. As with strength training, stretching should cover all parts of the body, with an emphasis on the muscle groups being used for your sport. Without proper stretching, tendon and ligament injury can occur more frequently.
And be sure to relax while stretching to not only perform your stretches properly but also to be sure not to hurt yourself. While stretching, breathe in a normal, calm and relaxed fashion - holding your breath means you’re tense and that defeats the whole purpose of stretching, which is to relax your muscles and prepare them for activity. A routine stretching regimen is a great way to reduce your risk of sports injury.
3. Use the proper technique - No matter what sport you play, if your body is not moving in the proper form, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk for a sports injury. Proper sports biomechanics are crucial to not only performing at a high level, but also to make sure the body is moving properly and all of the joints and muscles are in alignment. For example, if you adjusted your golf swing to keep from slicing, but it put tremendous strain on your lower back, the likelihood of developing long-term sports injuries is high. Developing a tendon or ligament injury is not worth a few extra strokes!
4. Wear the proper equipment - and make sure it fits you. If you're involved in a contact sport, you should wear the appropriate and properly fitted protective gear, including upper and lower body pads, a helmet, mouthpiece, face shield and/or eyewear. And always be aware that protective gear will not protect you from performing more dangerous or risky activities. Proper protective gear is one of the easiest things you can do to prevent sports injuries.
5. Take some time off - It's smart to have at least one day off per week to allow the body time to recover. Many sports injuries occur when your body is tired and you're continuing to push hard, so giving your ligaments, tendons and muscles the time to rest and recharge is crucial to avoiding sports injuries.
6. Stop your activity if you feel pain- The idea of “playing through pain” may work for professional athletes, but it’s not so smart for weekend warriors and active adults. If you feel recurring pain in a joint area or muscle, take time off from your sport and let your body heal. Visit a professional who can provide an accurate analysis and diagnosis of what may be causing the pain, and offer solutions that are best suited for your body, activity level and performance goals.
