There is a lot of reasons why you should play more sports and get more exercise. It’s one of the essential ways of getting in shape and improving your overall help. We need to be active for at least an hour each day, and playing a sport allows you to do that. There are some dangers and risks that you face when you play sport though.
It’s not difficult to play safely and stay free of injuries if you know what you’re doing. The injuries you can suffer if you don’t play sport safely can be very serious. And you also know how to deal with minor injuries to stop them from becoming more serious. Read on to discover all you need to know.
Know the Rules
Every sport has its rules, and you need to know what they are if you’re going to play it safely. It’s never a good idea to start playing a sport before you understand how it works and how it’s played in a safe way. When everyone on the pitch knows what moves and actions are within the rules and which aren’t, injuries can be minimized. So, make sure you have this knowledge before you take to the field of play. You’ll also be less likely to be responsible for injuring other people when you know the rules too.
Find Your Level
You also need to play at the right level. If you are out of shape or haven’t played the sport before, it’s probably not a good idea to start playing with superior players. You won’t be able to keep up, meaning you won’t enjoy it, and you’ll be more likely to sustain an injury. It’s best to be honest with yourself about where your level is. By playing with people who have a similar level of ability to you, you will be able to keep up to pace with the game. That means you won’t be forced to overstretch yourself or do anything that could lead to you getting injured.
Warm Up
The warm up you do before you start playing sport is very important. The chances of you getting injured will decrease massively if you remember to do this. When you warm up, the blood flows to your muscles and gets them ready to undertake exercise. And stretching also warms them up so they won’t pull or get damaged when you start to run and move up. Your warm up doesn’t have to be particularly complex, but tailor it to the kind of exercise you will be doing. Think about which parts of the body you’ll be using most of all.
Wear the Right Gear
There are different types of gear that are required in every sport. By using and wearing the right gear, you will be able to play the sport safely. The gear you need will depend on what you’re doing. For cycling, having a helmet and lights on the bike is vital. For rugby, it’s best to use a mouth guard. Suddora headbands can be used to keep sweat away from your face, which is actually important in some sports. You don’t want your attention to be diverted because you’re wiping sweat from your face. So, get the gear that’s right for the sport you’re playing.
Understand How Medicine Affects Hydration
Hydration is one of the most important things of all when you’re playing sport. It’s vital to always have a bottle of water with you that you can drink from as you play. It’s also important to hydrate your body before and after exercise. Dehydration can have a serious impact on your body, so it’s a risk that shouldn’t be taken. Some forms of medication can dehydrate the body, so you should take this into consideration too. For example, simple allergy medicine dehydrates the body a little. If any medication you’re taking does this, it’s essential to drink even more water when exercising.
Don’t Play When Injured
If you do get injured on the field of play, make sure that you don’t carry on playing. Putting on a brave face and playing through the pain might seem like a good idea, but it rarely is. It usually just makes the injury worse than it has to be, and you don’t want that. As soon as you feel an injury, you should assess the situation and take action. Sometimes, it might be possible to run the problem off. But if that doesn’t happen, stop playing and then treat the injury. Either see a doctor or physio, or you could treat the problem yourself if it’s minor. Find out more about that below.
Know How to Treat an Injury Safely
There are four key stages that you should follow when you do sustain a sporting injury. Knowing about these stages and what they mean for you is very important. If you don’t deal with your injury in a safe and proper way, it will only get worse and lead to further injuries in the future. First of all, you need to rest to allow the body time to heal and recover. During this time you should apply ice to reduce swelling and pain. Then you should compress the area of the injury, which can be done with the ice. Finally, if your injury is on your leg, as many sports injuries are, you need to keep it elevated as much as possible.
Stretch and Cool Down at the End
After you have played sport, you need to do some stretches and cool down. This is something that’s just as important as the warm ups you do before you start playing. It’s about easing your body back into a resting state after you’ve been active for a period of time. Some light jogging and simple stretches will be enough to get back to normal. You should carry on drinking plenty of water too. If you do this, your party will recover from the activity more quickly, and you will be less likely to suffer aches and pains. Many people forget to do it, so make sure you don’t.