Sports and exercises are without a doubt among the most effective strategies to maintain our bodies fit and healthy.
However, if not performed correctly, sports can cause significant injuries and harm to our bodies.
Thankfully, there are various ways to avoid sports injuries. In this post, we’ll look at the most common causes of sports injuries and some of the best ways to prevent them.
So, let’s get started!
What Causes Sports Injuries?
Your body requires at least a 48-hour recovery after engaging in exercises. Therefore, continuous workouts without rest could lead to various injuries and pain.
But what are the other most common causes of sports injuries? Check them out below:
1. Overtraining
As previously stated, overtraining can cause severe pain due to muscular cramps and strains. Relaxation and breaks are required for the body to replace lost strength and recover effectively.
2. Failure to wear protective gear
To avoid excessive impacts, some sports require the use of helmets, chest protectors, and knee pads. However, some of us sometimes need to remember to use them.
3. Incorrect training techniques
Believe it or not, using inappropriate training methods like jumping and running on hard surfaces, exercising in just one sport yearly, and more could lead to severe damage.
4. Wrong training equipment
Using incorrect equipment for a particular sporting activity could also lead to injuries. For instance, wearing shoes that fail to support your entire weight while exercising.
Common Injuries in Sports
When it comes to sports injuries, it does not necessarily mean that only athletes suffer from them. You may even find such a problem with other people who experience a lot of stress on different body parts like factory workers, painters, and gardeners.
Sports injuries are categorized into two types, that is, acute injuries which appear suddenly, and chronic injuries which appear over time. Now let us check out some of the most common sports injuries.
1. Fractures
People commonly injure their bones after falling or when excessive force is applied to their bones. The broken bones usually move out of place, causing swelling, discomfort, and numbness.
2. Strains
At times, a tendon or muscle may pull, twist, or tear. This commonly occurs after performing exercises that put too much strain on the muscles.
3. Sprains
Strains and sprains can be confusing phrases for some people. Sprains, however, are more likely to harm the ligaments. In this case, people usually either twist their ankles or knees.
4. Concussions
Concussions are among the most serious injuries since they can have a variety of outcomes that interfere with our daily activities. A concussion occurs when a significant force hits your head and penetrates the skull.
Some of its symptoms include:
- Amnesia
- Light sensitivity
- Nausea
- Mental confusion
- Headaches
- Fatigue and dizziness
- Continuous vibrations in your ears
- Loss of consciousness
5. Back injuries
When too much tension builds up and causes inflammation, the spinal column and back may suffer. Furthermore, sprains and strains are the most common causes of lower back problems.
6. Knee injuries
Knee injuries are sometimes unavoidable since certain activities put your knees under a lot of stress. In most situations, your anterior cruciate ligament and cartilage may fail, resulting in fractures and dislocations.
Sports Injury Prevention Strategies
Now that you understand the many kinds of injuries and their causes, you should also learn how to avoid them. We now have sports injury prevention strategies that primarily involve training methodologies, recommended exercise equipment, and updating sports policies and guidelines.
Here are some sports injury prevention strategies to use while exercising.
1. Avoid overtraining
After exercising, you should always allow your body to rest and replenish. And, in case you get hurt, try to take your time to allow your injuries to heal completely. You can also see your doctor to see if your injuries have healed completely.
2. Always wear protective gear
Our body parts are fragile and require extra protection in case of a collision from a heavy impact. For this reason, it is advised to always have your protective gear. Without a doubt, wearing protective gear does not immediately free you of the risks associated with engaging in extreme or risky behaviors.
Even if you don’t participate in intensive sports that involve the above-mentioned equipment, your muscles can still suffer injuries. This is why it is a good idea to wear muscle-supporting devices such as athletic tape or kinesiology tape.
Don’t know where to look for such a tape? Hampton Adams is one of the best brands for these types of sporting equipment. They sell more than just athletic tape and kinesiology tape; they also sell other products to help your body perform better.
3. Maintain flexibility
Flexibility exercises allow your muscles to stretch while also improving strength and endurance. Furthermore, flexibility means fewer injuries, better posture, and less pain. It is therefore important to begin any exercise with warm-ups and stretches.
4. Stay hydrated
Dehydration causes muscle tiredness because the body produces greater heat. Exercise also causes your body to release a lot of moisture, causing you to lose more bodily fluids.
Taking fluids while exercising can aid in the replacement of bodily fluids, allowing your body to keep functioning and reducing the chance of injury.
5. Use the appropriate technique
Using a good technique results in consistency and flawless execution. However, utilizing a poor technique will push your body to work uncomfortably. As a result, numerous injuries during sports or workouts may occur.
6. Follow all the rules and regulations
One of the reasons sports rules and regulations are put in place is to prevent injury. So pay attention to them and obey any safety advice provided by the governing agency.
In The End
Some sports injuries are painful, costly, traumatic, and even fatal, and they can interrupt our regular activity. As a result, try not to overstress your body and use the injury prevention strategies above.
Maintaining a healthy physical state will keep you safe from injury, discomfort, and weariness. Furthermore, it is usually recommended to seek therapy whenever you suffer from certain sports injuries.
Solving any injury as soon as possible can help you recover quicker. Furthermore, if you have any doubts or are unclear about a specific injury, you should always consult your physician first. In addition, feel free to visit hamptonadams.com for a handy guide on sports injury recovery and to buy top-notch collection of sports tape.
