The right way to play: injury prevention tips. (Side Lines).A truly successful sports season is one in which wins are many and injuries are few. The odds are in favor of the athlete who follows sound principles throughout the year -- call them the Terrific Ten (see box below). In addition to following the Terrific Ten, think of what you can do before, during and after activity to keep injuries to a minimum. PRE-PLAY TIPS Start protecting your players before they hit the field or court. Although some injuries are unavoidable, many can be prevented or, at least, decreased in severity. The most common of these are muscle strains, such as lower back strains, and "tennis elbow tennis elbow - overuse strain injury ." To prevent these common conditions, implement a program that works the core muscles preceded by a light warm-up (i.e. jogging or jumping jacks) and stretching. If your players balk balk the action of a horse when it refuses to obey a command to which it usually responds. See also jibbing. at the idea, remind them that warmed-up muscles function better and are less likely to sustain injury. HARD AT PLAY Before, during or after a practice or game, some of the most preventable sport injuries are dehydration and heat-related injuries. Hydration hydration /hy·dra·tion/ (hi-dra´shun) the absorption of or combination with water. hy·dra·tion n. 1. The addition of water to a chemical molecule without hydrolysis. 2. and acclimatization acclimatization Any of numerous gradual, long-term responses of an individual organism to changes in its environment. The responses are more or less habitual and reversible should conditions revert to an earlier state. to environmental stress are critical to helping keep the active body free from injury. Sports drinks, like Gatorade, are better than water for protecting against heat-related injuries such as muscle cramps. Sport drinks are flavored, which encourages players to drink more helping them stay better hydrated hy·drat·ed adj. Chemically combined with water, especially existing in the form of a hydrate. Adj. 1. hydrated - containing combined water (especially water of crystallization as in a hydrate) hydrous and they contain sodium and potassium to help replace what's lost in sweat. Sports drinks also contain carbohydrate to fuel active muscles for better performance. POST PLAY PLANS Keeping your players healthy extends beyond the time they spend with the team. Athletes require appropriate rest and recovery to perform their best. Without rest and recovery an over-training syndrome is likely to develop. Decreased performance and increased incidence of injuries can often be linked to over-training. A good way to keep athletes on the road of rest and recovery is to encourage them to get at least eight hours of sleep a night. You can't always keep your athletes out of harm's way beyond the danger limit; in a safe place. - Latimer. See also: Out , but simple guidelines and some planning should keep them in top form. RELATED ARTICLE: The Terrific Ten: 1. Take the time to become acclimated to environmental stress 2. Always include a warm up 3. Start hydrated and end hydrated 4. Use equipment that fits properly 5. Integrate exercises that work the core muscles, aerobic endurance and proper biomechanics The study of the anatomical principles of movement. Biomechanical applications on the computer employ stick modeling to analyze the movement of athletes as well as racing horses. Biomechanics along with other techniques into training 6. Emphasize periodization Periodization is the attempt to categorize or divide time into discrete named blocks. The result is a descriptive abstraction that provides a useful handle on periods of time with relatively stable characteristics. in training programs 7. Avoid over-training 8. Eat a welt-balanced diet with healthy snacks 9. Get at least eight hours of sleep each night 10. Get fit to play sports, don't play sports to get fit |
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