The winter sports season sees of thousands of bodies partaking in a huge range of school and club sports – all the footy codes, netball, hockey and many others. Over the years advice changes on the best way to minimise and manage injuries so here’s our top tips for your kids or you!
Fitness is first! Taking on a new sport or changing sports can be risky if the physical demands change. Risk of injury increases with physical and mental fatigue so even a few sessions of cardio fitness work can reduce injury risk and make it more enjoyable!
Warmup is DYNAMIC – individual or team sports should have a pre training and game warmup protocol and it should be dynamic. Static stretchingdoes not reduce injury risk and may even reduce performance – so get that body moving with sport specific skills and leave the slow stretching until after the game.
RECOVERY involves hydration, nutrition and a gentle cool down involving some light stretching. If the parental taxi has to shoot off to get to another game be sure to stretch when you can and let your body rest.
ASK US if you’re not sure – adolescents experience plenty of aches and pains as they grow and sometimes it’s hard to tell if they should keep playing. Parents and coaches vary between “toughen up and get out there’ all the way to “if it hurts at all then stop”. We can help you understand when to stop and when it’s OK to play on, how to reduce pain and minimiseinjury risk.
If you have an acute injury book in for a short (30 minute) initial consultation so we can see you quickly and ensure the best management plan is in place early.
