If you play sports at any level and want to avoid injury while you play, read these tips for some great advice on what you should do.
Do Fitness Exercises that Help You Stay Limber and Strong
When you play sports, a certain set of physical attributes are needed to excel. The first is strength. You need to have the strength to be able to compete against the opposition. This requires that you are in good physical condition and have worked on strengthening your entire body.
Another attribute that is important is that you are limber. Flexibility plays an important role in almost every sport. You will be asked to twist, turn, bend, leap, stretch, and do other things with your body in order to compete.
If you are ever injured you may have to visit a sports physio. As well as treating an injury they can help make sure you avoid injury in the first place. This can keep you playing longer and better.
To become strong and flexible, you need to do fitness routines that promote these areas. The perfect fitness routine to compliment any sport is Pilates. Pilates involves exercises that work out the whole body, while focusing on the core. By strengthening your core, which is the muscles around your midsection and lower back, you will increase your stability and build a solid foundation. With a strong core, you can then strengthen other parts of your body.
Pilates exercises are designed to stretch and loosen the muscles, ligaments, tendons, and joints throughout the body. More and more, athletes are now engaging in Pilates and finding that it provides them with a great foundation of exercises that help them become better at their sport. Pilates also has an advanced set of courses called Reformer Pilates which utilizes a custom made apparatus and specific Pilates exercises that combine to give you more strength and flexibility. Reformer Pilates is the perfect fitness regimen if you are an advanced athlete or would like to become one.
Wear Safety Equipment
In many sports you see some of the biggest stars forgoing certain safety equipment that is advised for the athletes. In sports, safety equipment is there because there is a likelihood that you will get injured if you do not utilize it. When you play a sport make sure that you wear all of the necessary pads, guards, gloves, helmets, and every other piece of safety equipment that is recommended. You may feel skilled enough to play without it, but for safety sake you should definitely use it.
Never Play Angry
When you play sports, your attitude often determines how well you do. Many people play and become frustrated if they are not winning and as a result play angry. When you play angry, you open yourself up to injury and don’t think clearly resulting in bad decisions. You should always play with a level head no matter what the score or what position you and your team are in. If you find yourself angry on the field or court, take yourself out of the game, have a drink of water and calm yourself down. Once you are calm, you can resume playing.
Have a Cool Down Period After Games or Matches
Everyone understands stretching & warming your body up before a game or match is important. However, not as many people put as much emphasis on cooling the body down after a game or match is completed. When you’re done the body is still functioning at this overextended level, and needs to be slowly brought down back to normal. Doing things like stretching exercises, hot tub soaks, massage therapy, meditation and deep breathing will allow you to cool down and help you avoid injury.
