For people who are involved in sports, it comes with the territory that there is always the risk of an injury. Of course, it isn’t always possible to prevent injuries, but there are quite a few interventions you can take to decrease the chances of sustaining one of the many types of injuries that frequently affect athletes, including shin splints, plantar fasciitis, tendonitis, and ankle sprains and strains.
Ways to avoid injuries while playing sports
- Proper warm-up—Many injuries are caused and exacerbated by not properly warming up before exercise. Gently stretching your muscles, tendons, and ligaments before vigorous exercise begins will help avoid a multitude of injuries.
- Correct footwear—Always use footwear for the specific sport in which you will be participating and be certain to have properly fitted shoes with right arch and heel support for your foot type. The proper combination of these elements is essential for adequate shock absorption and weight distribution.
- Get regular exercise —You are much less likely to sustain a debilitating injury if you exercise consistently and increase your workout intensity over time rather than doing an intense workout only once in a while.
- Custom orthotic inserts—Foot deformities including flat feet, overpronation, high arches, hammertoes, and bunions can be treated with specially designed inserts that remove sources of rubbing and pressure.
- Proper cooling down—Proper cooling down is just as important as proper warming up. Decelerating your exercise gradually towards the end of your workout is essential to aiding your tired muscles and tendons to recover and rehydrate, so drink plenty of water.
- Don’t exercise if you are injured—If you have the sensation of severe or excessive pain and discomfort during or after exercise, your body is trying to tell you that something isn’t quite right and that you should stop exercising and see your foot doctor to find out what is wrong.
If despite your best efforts, you have suffered a sports injury, schedule an appointment with the Foot First Podiatry in New Albany, IN. Our highly qualified podiatrist Zahid Ladha, D.P.M. is dedicated to providing excellent diagnostic care and medical treatment for you and your feet. Contact us at (812) 945-9221 and schedule an appointment today!