Playing sports is a great way to have fun while also staying in shape. The adrenaline is addictive and it is a great way to socialize with your peers. The key, however, is to play sports safely. Injuries are common and mostly minor, but you have to focus on making sure that you aren’t opening yourself up to major injuries.
Having the right gear is important as well as following a few habits to make sure that you are protecting yourself the best you can. This can mean playing sports that match your fitness level as well as knowing what could be risky behavior while playing. In this article, we will go over a few of the ways that you can make sure to stay safe while playing sports.
1 – Have protective gear
There is a lot of equipment and clothing that need to be worn for certain sports to make sure that you are not exposing yourself to an unnecessary and avoidable injury. You can still get hurt, but with the right gear, you are lowering the risk.
The most sensitive and vulnerable area when playing sports is your eyes. If you wear glasses then you are at a very high risk of an eye injury if you get hit with a ball or even by another player. Wearing sport glasses is essential when you wear glasses regularly.
Knee and elbow pads are also a great idea since there is little protection for those joints and can easily get injured if you fall on them. The key is to understand what the most common injuries are for a particular sport and find the protective gear that will protect that area of your body.
2 – Warm up first
Stretching before doing any kind of exercise or playing a sport is extremely important in preventing injuries. When muscles are tight, they can easily get strained and this can cause a painful injury. You could also end up hurt because you weren’t fast enough to avoid a collision with another player since your muscles were not loose enough to react quickly.
Taking fifteen minutes to do some warm-up exercises and stretches will loosen the muscles, get the blood flowing, and keep your joints flexible. Doing a bit of yoga is great as it is low-impact. Stretching bands are also popular for the same reason these days.
3 – Know the conditions
The field where you will be playing could contribute to an injury very easily. Any divots in the turf or wet spots on the court can be very dangerous when you are running at full speed.
Make sure to take some time to inspect the place where you will be playing the sport. Understanding spots to avoid is important as is being able to fix some damage before setting out to play.
You should also take some time to check the weather for game time if you are playing outside. If there is a lightning storm, for instance, then you need to be aware so you can postpone the play.