5 tips to prevent common sports injuries for men
What do regular exercisers athletes and gym newbies have in common? All of them are equally prone to sports injury. Sometimes prevention is the best medicine. Whether you’re a weekend warrior or the star player of your rec club team these five tips can help protect you against the most common sports injuries for men.
1. Wear a helmet
Contact sports like football and rugby are great fun but they can also cause serious head trauma if you’re not careful. To reduce the risk of a traumatic brain injury like concussion always wear a helmet before participating in any rough and tumble sports or taking your bike for a spin. Even if you wear a helmet you can still sustain a concussion or injury. So if you feel nauseated confused drowsy or have a headache after hitting your head seek medical attention right away.
2. Warm-up before working out
Gentle stretching or light movement before exercise is one of the easiest and most important steps to take to prevent injury. Warming up improves flexibility by increasing blood flow to the muscles reducing the likelihood of muscle pull or strain. A proper warm-up lasts at least five to 10 minutes. Jogging in place touching your toes and circling your arms are all great warm-up exercises.
3. Use proper form
According to the National Institute of Health improper form is one of the most common causes of sports injury. Before trying a new sport or a new piece of gym equipment consult a trainer or expert to learn proper form. Typically proper form requires that stacked joints a tight core and relaxed shoulders.
4. Go gradually
You know that expression Rome wasn’t built in a day? Well neither are fit bodies. If you only work out on the weekends or haven’t been to the gym in a while don’t push yourself too hard at first. Listen to your body and increase intensity slowly every week. Also alternate high-intensity workouts with days of active rest (walking gentle stretching etc.) to give your muscles enough time to heal and repair.
5. Wear the right shoes
Not all sneakers are equal when it comes to running cross-training and playing field sports (which usually require cleats). Wearing the wrong shoes can significantly increase your odds of spraining pulling or tearing a muscle. Consult a sports shoe specialist and replace sneakers at least twice a year if you are a gym regular.
These five tips will help guard against common sports injuries for men but they won’t eliminate the risk completely. If you do sustain an injury and it doesn’t get better in a couple weeks after proper rest and care seek medical attention right away. Untreated injuries can become lifelong complications like arthritis.