(Akiit.com) If you’re taking up any kind of sporting activity this summer, you need to stay away from sports injuries. It isn’t always possible to avoid a particularly heavy clash, but injuries often occur for needless reasons. So, we’re going take a very brief look at five tips to help you stay in good shape this summer. Don’t get hurt unnecessarily!
Stretch
From a very young age, we’re encouraged to stretch our muscles before doing any type of physical activity. The reason for this is to get your body warmed up and ready for the strains that you’re 
about to place on it. Stretching isn’t difficult and doesn’t take a lot of time to do. It’s important to get into the routine of stretching, or it’s easily forgotten. Look at YouTube for some instructional videos if you don’t know what you’re doing.
Wear The Right Clothing
Depending on the type of sport or physical activity you’re planning to do, you need to be wearing the right clothing. Some sports require extra protection with tailored clothing, while others will allow you more freedom. If you already suffer from aches and pains, look to buy clothing that can protect those issues, like orthopedic shoes. Wearing the right clothing is crucial to not only prevent sports injuries but get the most out of your performance.
Don’t Over-Exert Yourself
If you’re like me, and you’ve been spending the entire spring period indoors, you need to take things slowly. It’s tempting to get outside and do as much as exercise as possible when the summer arrives. However, it’s very easy to cause yourself an injury by overdoing it too quickly. If you’re unfit, make sure you’re only doing small amounts of exercise until you’re ready to work harder. Make sure you’re getting lots of rest, too.
Stay Hydrated
Your body craves more water than usual in the summer due to the hot temperatures. If you don’t provide it with said water, you’re not going to be able to perform at a peak level. Even worse, your body will start to struggle, and illness can result. It’s important that if you’re going to be playing sports for a long time, that you bring a hefty supply of liquids. You’ll soon realize that if you don’t, you’ll feel worse for wear.
Treat Any Injuries Quickly
As we said at the start of this piece, injuries can’t always be prevented. In sporting competition, they are a part of the experience. However, if you do suffer any injuries, it’s important that they’re treated instantly. Don’t be tempted to try and walk them off or hope they’ll recover in time. In a lot of cases, they won’t, and they’ll need extra attention. Visit your doctor and see what their advice is, or you could end up dealing with a much worse injury down the line.
The summer is a fantastic time to get outside and play some sports. Whatever you’re doing; stay safe. By the time winter rolls around, you don’t want to be suffering from long-term injuries!
Staff Writer; Liv Allen