The sun is out, and we are (hopefully) becoming more active. Hiking, water sports, running, biking and much more are starting to become weekly activities. But are our bodies ready for the extra strain of more physical activity? Usually yes, as long as we take some steps to avoid common injuries.
Back Yard Danger
Many people injure themselves in their own backyards. Rarely to we believe that we could get injured in a simple backyard game, but in fact, this is where many injuries occur. For example, touch football, badminton, Slip n’ Slides, small-field soccer and more can quickly become very physically demanding, even if they aren’t organized or competitive. In fact, that can be part of the problem—when there aren’t any rules or referees, and when we’re just playing for a laugh, we aren’t looking after our bodies like we might otherwise. Ankle injuries, knee damage, shoulder injuries and more are all relatively common injuries in backyard sports. Protect yourself by:
- Warming up to physical activity, instead of jumping right in.
- Stretch.
- Put on the right clothes and shoes. Slipping, or being inhibited in movement, is a common reason for injuries.
Extreme Sports
Summertime is when adrenaline junkies begin to take a lot of risks, whether it’s a new trick on the wakeboard, a new downhill mountain biking trail, or some new extreme sport. There are a lot of unknowns in extreme sports, combined with a lot of speed and momentum. It’s an obvious recipe for injury. Protect yourself by:
- Wearing proper protective gear.
- Engage in light aerobic activity before you mountain bike, water ski, etc. Limber up.
- Know what you’re getting into. If it’s longboarding, how fast will you go on this hill? If it’s hiking, how strenuous will it be?
- At the gym, work out muscle groups that you’ll use a lot in your extreme sport. Shoulders and back generally need lots of support.