Do you enjoy lacing up your running shoes and hitting the road for a brisk jog around the neighborhood? Or is a game of golf, complete with walking the course and hitting the ball nice and long down the fairway, preferable? Or, do your weekends include playing a team sport like softball or soccer?
If you answered yes to one or more of these questions, the first thing you need to do is pat yourself on the back because you are getting regular exercise, which is a good thing. Before you reach around to pat yourself on the back, be sure to stretch your arm first, because the second thing these activities all have in common is that they increase your risk of developing a sports-related injury.
Now wait just a darn minute, you might be thinking. How can walking along a golf course and swinging a few clubs possibly lead to injury? Golf doesn’t seem to have the inherent risk that other sports or activities seem to have, like football or rollerblading. However, all sports have a risk of injury, so it helps to be careful.
Before going any further, let’s also talk a bit about the famous weekend warriors who use their Saturdays and Sundays to mow the lawn, tackle the weeding, trim the trees, paint the house and wax the floors. You know how you end up feeling by Monday morning? The symptoms you may be feeling like aching and tender muscles are, in essence, a type of sports-related injury. So go ahead and pat yourself on the back too, you deserve it for getting outside and getting physical while keeping up your yard and home. But like a runner or softball player, it would behoove you to also be knowledgeable about preventing injuries.
Okay, so let’s get down to brass tacks and go over tips to prevent injuries. Interestingly, one of the best Web sites I found when I was researching this topic was the American Academy of Pediatrics. They offer a great list of tips to reduce injury. Although the Web site and list is meant for children, there's a lot of wisdom in these words for people of all ages.
The tips include:
-Wear the proper gear:
When you are playing a sport or doing another type of physical activity, be sure you are dressed properly and wearing equipment that fits you correctly. Don’t assume that the protective gear will keep you safe from attempting more risky activities, a(as the mom of a pre-teen boy I love this one.) So if you’re biking, be sure your helmet fits and is actually on your head and not dangling from the handlebars. It's dangerous to think, hey, I’m wearing a helmet, I think I’ll try going down that steep hill now as fast as I can. Proper equipment will never protect you as much as good ol' fashion common sense. If you’re mowing the lawn, wear shoes. Seriously. I’ve seen people mowing barefoot. If you like to rollerblade, invest in a helmet and wrist and kneepads.
Please stay tuned for part two of this article, where we’ll go over more tips and ideas for preventing sports-related injuries.
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/injuryprevention/a/aa101402a.htm
www.aap.org/advocacy/releases/aprsportsinjurytips.cfm