It doesn’t matter what sport you play or if your interest level is pro, semi-pro, or amateur. While getting active in sports and athletics benefits your physical and mental health in many ways, it does put you at risk for sports injuries.
The team at LA Orthopaedic Specialists in downtown Los Angeles, California, wants you to stay active — but with good injury prevention strategies in place. We work with you to prevent sports injuries from derailing your hobby, career, or active lifestyle.
Here are some of the key strategies we recommend for our patients to avoid injury — no matter their sport, age, or interest level — as part of a comprehensive preventive care approach.
Stretch, warm up, and build toward activity goals
There’s nothing harder on your body than going from being idle to engaging in intense physical activity. Your muscles and ligaments don’t have the time they need to warm up, making you more prone to strains, sprains, and muscle or ligament tears.
In order to avoid these types of sports injuries, which can require a lot of time for recovery, always stretch before and after getting athletic. Give your tendons, ligaments, muscles, and other critical connective tissues a chance to work up to the full available range of strength and flexibility.
Apply this mindset to your training and activity goals, as well. Starting too hard or fast right off the mark may leave you exhausted and prone to falls or stress injuries. You want to build a solid foundation when you work out, starting with stresses you know your body can handle and working up to more ambitious goals.
Keep a strong, active core
Falls cause many types of sports injuries. In order to prevent falls, as well as protect your delicate, nerve-rich spinal column, keeping your core muscles strong and easy-to-activate is key. These include your abdominal muscles and the muscles in your back, as well as the muscles surrounding your pelvis.
Strengthening this area of your body improves performance in any athlete. It also reduces your risks of falls and spinal injuries.
Use the right equipment for your sport and needs
This includes protective padding, helmets, and other gear designed to protect your body. But that’s not all. You can also reduce your risk of sports injuries by making sure you’re using the right footwear and also ensuring that your shoes aren’t too worn out.
If you’re not sure what protective gear or athletic supports you need, as well as what you can safely make do without, talk to your provider at LA Orthopaedic Specialists about your activity levels and injury prevention needs.
Listen to your body
When it comes to injury prevention, the most important rule is to always listen to your body. If pain, clicking or popping sounds, weakness, or dysfunction signal a potential issue, don’t push it.
Seek professional care as soon as you notice a problem, and wait until you get the all-clear to return to full activity. Otherwise, you could end up being benched longer as you recover from a serious injury or trauma.
To learn more injury prevention strategies for athletes and how you can protect yourself to keep playing your best, contact us to talk with our fellowship-trained physicians at LA Orthopaedic Specialists. You can schedule an appointment online or call the office to book.