(Akiit.com) From playing sports in class at school, after-school teams, and sports camps, lots of kids are taking part in sports all year round. While sports are of course for family fitness and learning skills like teamwork, all that time being physically active also has a higher risk of getting injured. To make sure your child is safe while they play and avoids injuries, try some of these tips.
Talk With Your Child
If your child wants to be an athlete or a sportsman, make sure that they know how important it is they tell you or their coach if they feel any kind of pain, discomfort, or anything that doesn’t feel right. They should be taking part in sports that are pain-free, but some children feel they should be tough and push through any pain. If an injury is left untreated, it can lead to a more serious problem that you could have avoided with earlier treatment.
Get A Preseason Physical
Before the main season for their sport starts, or before they go back to school, it can be a good idea to get your child a physical. A physical can make sure that they are fit to play. Any areas of concern can be looked at before they return to their sport or activity and can keep your child from ending up more injured by playing if there is an injury already present that needs to be treated. Ask your child’s usual doctor to do their physical, or ask for a referral to a specialist in sports medicine. Injuries can be treated by your doctor, or a sports masseuse.
Encourage Cross-Training And A Variety Of Sports
If your child really loves one sport, like rugby, it can be tough to persuade them to do anything else. If they’re playing on a weekend team, their school team, and practice at home, this can put a lot of stress on the same muscles and joints. This is why athletes need to mix up the sports and activities that they do. As a parent, you should try to prevent your child from playing on multiple teams in the same sport, and making sure they change up their routine regularly. Remind them that professional sports players and athletes always cross-train to improve their main sport, and so should they. As well as their main sport, add in things like swimming, cycling, or other sports.
Stress The Importance Of Warming Up
One of the best ways to stop injury is stretching. This should be a habit for all athletes before they start an activity, even for young children. A mix of static and dynamic stretches works best during a warmup to loosen the muscles, raise the heart rate, and prepare the body for physical activity. Teach your child to do toe touches and stretches where they hold the position for a certain amount of time (these are static stretches), and some dynamic stretches where the body keeps moving, such as jumping jacks.
Staff Writer; Brian Jackson