Have you ever wanted to practice your sport or get active more than anything? It happens to all of us, whether you’re playing varsity basketball, are your softball team’s best pitcher, or a newbie runner. But what happens when you can’t participate for weeks or even months? According to Advent Health (article written in 2022), over two million injuries were caused by high school sports. But how can we prevent these? Well, I’m glad you asked! 

Common Sports Injuries

First off, what are some of the most common injuries? 

[] Sprains and strains
[] Injuries to the knee joint, muscles, Achilles tendon, and nose
[] Dislocations 
[] Fractures and stress fractures 
[] Shin pain
[] Dental damage 
[] Causation 

Now that you know the most common injuries--how are they caused? Ultimately, they boil down to either an athlete skimping out on warm-ups, another player getting caught up in the game, someone falling or twisting their joints. Some preventable causes are inadequate training, warm-ups, and gear. Some that are mostly unpreventable are poor health, falling, twisting a joint in a funky way, or getting hit. It’s great to be knowledgeable about the many dangers of our hobbies, but it’s even better to know how to prevent them! So, let’s dive into some steps we can take to ensure we can live the active lifestyle we want. 

Preventative Measures 

[] Dynamic stretches are beautiful before exercise because they force your muscles to warm up and get ready to work!
[] Core exercises like planks and crunches increase balance and stability 
[] Proper techniques that can be learned by trusted online sources, coaches, and experienced players of your sport
[] Rest is crucial to your success–you don’t want to overuse or damage your muscles! This also means rotating muscle groups during strength training, e.g., upper body workouts every three days
[] Cool-downs lower your heart rate and breathing at an appropriate pace and allow your muscles to prepare for your next session 

As we’ve investigated, sports have their risks, some of which are extremely common. But with that, we have learned preventative measures to help keep our careers running as long as possible. After all, the best part of being an athlete isn’t always winning games or setting personal records but all the steps and challenges we’ve overcome to achieve them. I encourage you to put these preventative measures into practice and share this article with those who could benefit from this information.

Disclaimer

The information provided in this article, including ideas, suggestions, techniques, and other materials, is for informational purposes only. It is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always seek the advice of your physician or another qualified health provider with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition or treatment. Never disregard professional medical advice or delay in seeking it because of something you have read in this article. If you think you may have a medical emergency, call your doctor or dial 911 immediately.

References

“Sports Injury Prevention,” Mount Sinai, n.d., mountsinai.org/care/orthopedics/services/sports-medicine/conditions/sports-injury-prevention 

“Preventing Sports Injuries,” John Hopkins Medicine, n.d., hopkinsmedicine.org/health/conditions-and-diseases/sports-injuries/preventing-sports-injuries

“Sports Injuries,” Better Health Channel, reviewed on August 31st, 2015 betterhealth.vic.gov.au/health/healthyliving/sports-injuries 

“Most Common High School Sports Injuries,” Advent Health, September 22nd, 2020

adventhealth.com/blog/most-common-high-school-sports-injuries 

“Sports Injuries,” NIH, reviewed September 2022

niams.nih.gov/health-topics/sports-injuries#:~:text=Sports%20injuries%20are%20divided%20into,and%20develop%20gradually%20over%20time. 

“Warm-up and Cool-down,” Marilyn Corbin, Ph.D. and, Laura Henderson, Updated October 9th, 2015

extension.psu.edu/warm-up-and-cool-down