While it is not possible to completely avoid all types of injuries, by taking some precautions, it is possible to greatly reduce your risk of injury. Let Team Mantra share with you 6 tips to keep you and your teammates in the game and going strong.
- Tip 1: Be in Shape BEFORE you Play. It’s true that playing sports can get you into shape, but if you want to avoid injury it is best to always ensure you are in the best physical shape possible before you begin playing a sport. This is an important step whether you are playing golf, basketball, football, tennis, hockey, or any other sport.
- Tip 2: Know and Follow All the Rules for your Sport. Knowing and following the rules and guidelines for your sport can help ensure that you can avoid injury resulting from playing inappropriately. In addition, make sure you play with others who follow the rules as well. If someone else breaks the rules while playing, it increases your risk of injury.
- Tip 3: Always Wear the Right Safety Equipment. This should be applied regardless of whether you are at practice, scrimmage, a tournament, or even just playing around with friends. The safety equipment exists for a reason, and it is very important to help protect you from accidents and injuries. By not wearing the equipment, you are increasing your risk of being injured.
- Tip 4. Warm up Thoroughly Every Time. If you are playing on a team, you should play on teams that ensure warm ups are done before the games start. This helps to slowly warm up your muscles and really reduces the risk of injuries. Skipping a warm-up may seem like a great way to make up for running late for a game, but this is a huge risk to your safety.
- Tip 5. If you are Tired, Sick or Hurting do not Play. If you play on a team, ensure you tell the coach about any problems that you are experiencing and let them know you will not be playing. You should never agree to play when you are tired, because it increases the risk of being injured or injuring others since you are not fully alert. When you are sick, your body is always in a weakened condition and able to become injured much more easily. Finally, when you are already in pain, you likely already have an injury of some form that needs some time to heal.
- Tip 6. Ensure that you are Getting Enough Rest. While the idea of playing your favorite sport 24/7 may seem like the greatest idea, it is vital that you get at least 8 hours of sleep a day, as well as take frequent breaks, to ensure you do not wear yourself out. While training is a vital aspect of sports, getting the necessary rest to allow your body time to heal and recover is just as important. By resting when necessary, you are ensuring that you will have a long and happy sports career whether you are simply playing for fun, playing for a team, or playing professionally.
Avoiding injuries is a very important consideration for athletes, and by following the tips and suggestions mentioned above it should help to greatly improve your performance and reduce your risk of injury all at the same time.
Visit Team Mantra’s website for more tips about how to keep you in the game and feeling and looking great.