How to Avoid Sports-Related Injuries
By Stephen R. Farris
If you're active and participate in recreational, college or high school sports, or compete in semi-pro or professional sports, then your chances of getting a sports-related injury can increase.
According to doctors, almost every sports-related injury is caused by trauma and overuse, with the latter being most common in athletes.
Luckily, there are a few tips that you can apply to your training activities to help prevent sports-related injuries.
Set Goals
To help you get started, sit down and set some goals. Not just any goals, but real goals. The kind that will push you to the next level. Just make sure your training goals are actually obtainable and pace yourself slowly in reaching them.
Planning
Your first step should be consulting with your physician or chiropractor to help you plan and prepare for whatever exercise or conditioning program you're looking to start. Plus, you want to make sure you're physically fit to begin or continue exercising or prepping to play certain sports.
Warming Up and Cooling Down
This is an important process. Before you start your workout, always warm up. This could be a combination of a few things, such as stretching, walking, or jogging. Just a little something to loosen up your muscles and joints, and to get your blood circulating. After exercising, you should go through a cooldown process. For instance, if you jog 5 miles, at the end of the final mile slow your pace down to a walk. This will give your body time to adjust, to bring your breathing back down to normal and to slow your heart rate down.
Take Your Time
At some point you may feel the need to push yourself even more during a workout. However, it's important that you start off slow and eventually work your way to another level, instead of trying to get there all at once. Remember, Rome wasn't built in a day, and your body needs time to adjust to each plateau you achieve from exercise.
Listen to Your Body
Make sure to listen to what your body is telling you. Muscle pain is usually considered normal, but if you're feeling the pain coming from your bones and joints, then it might be time to slow things down. You may even need to see your physician or local chiropractor to get checked out.
To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Hixson, Tenn.