Safety Tips to Avoid Winter Sports Injuries

December 20, 2018 12:08 am Published by Leave your thoughts

Sports activities don’t have to pause just because the weather turns cold. In fact, maybe you feel like it’s an invitation to get out there and get moving! Whether you are heading to the snow or taking to the ice, it’s important that you are aware of the risk of injury. Common winter sports injuries include strains, sprains, fractures and dislocations, most of which typically happen early on due to lack of warmup or toward the end of the day after hours of physical exertion. The good news is that you can enjoy your winter sports by taking some helpful tips into account.

Here are some ideas from our fitness center in Napa County, CA about how you can avoid serious sports injuries this winter:

  • Warm up and stretch: Always stretch and warm up before engaging in a sport or activity. The type of sport you are participating in doesn’t matter—whether sledding, downhill skiing or playing ice hockey, take time to get your muscles, ligaments and tendons in gear for a day of fun. The more flexible your body, the better your chance of avoiding strains and sprains.
  • Know your limits: Competitive winter sports require participants to be physically fit. Because most winter sports have you moving quickly, it’s easy to misjudge your actual ability to handle the specific sport you are playing. We all have our limits—know yours before heading to the slopes or the skating rink!
  • Learn the sport: If you’re new to a sport or making a reappearance after a long time away from playing, consider taking lessons from a professional. An expert in your preferred winter sport can provide tips and insight to keep you safe and unharmed. Also, lessons are the best thing to help you improve your skills so you have more fun participating in your sport or activity of choice.
  • Stay hydrated: It’s wintertime, so why is hydration important? Even though it is not hot outside, your body is moving around, perspiring as you partake in winter sports. A good rule to follow in the wintertime is to drink a glass of water eight times a day, but this amount also depends on your activity level. If it’s high, drink more. Regardless, keep a bottle of water on hand and sip it throughout the day. Staying hydrated keeps you alert and keeps your muscles and other tissues strong and healthy.
  • Don’t push yourself too hard: We all have our limitations, which includes knowing when to call it a day. The majority of winter sports injuries happen at the end of the day, when brains are tired and not as alert as they should be. So, while you might really want to ski one more slope or skate once more around the rink, do not ignore what your body is telling you. The key to enjoying in sports all winter long is letting your body rest between sessions. If you are tired and sore, you need to stop before you suffer an injury.

If you need to visit a fitness center in Napa County, CA this winter, come to Focus Forward Wellness & Physical Therapy. We look forward to helping you enjoy your winter activities as safely as possible!

Categorised in:

This post was written by Writer

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *