Before your kid hits the playground, you need to know the ways you can follow to prevent the sports injuries. We encourage the children to take part in sports but something that we cannot bear is when they get themselves hurt.

Participation in sports, regardless of whether it is bike riding or football, teaches the children discipline as well as sportsmanship. Hard to deny, sports come with the risk of getting injured. Most of you remain afraid whenever you send your children to the playground and in case it is a sport that involves physical contact like football, the fright gets escalated significantly. The children are at a significant risk of facing sports injuries owing to an array of factors. The kids, especially the ones aged less than 8 are comparatively less coordinated and have slower reaction time since they are still growing. Moreover, there are differences in the weight and the height of children as well and when the kids of different height and weight play together, there is a higher risk of getting injured.

Let us take a look at some of the most common sports-related injuries in the kids.

 

• Strains and sprains
• Growth plate injury
• Heat-related ailments

Bruises are alright but you need to take a few steps to minimize the chances of the more serious injuries as much as possible. Here are the ways you can achieve that.

Communicate with the Child

Free and open communication is a must. This can bring down a number of concerns. You certainly cannot expect the child to report each and everything to you, but make sure he speaks up in case he is in pain or experience something that does not feel right. Don’t panic too much in front of the child because that may make the child hide the truth in the future. Remember that there are several kids who are quite tough and push through the pain but that cause trouble later. A more serious condition is possible to prevent through early intervention.

Use the Right Safety Gear and Equipment

Safety gear must be sport-specific. It needs to include the items like goggles, shin-elbow-knee pads, mouth guards and helmets. The safety gear must fit the child properly. Avoid the ones with missing buckles or the worn and compressed padding. Poorly fitting equipment is not just uncomfortable but the protection is compromised as well. Make sure you take the child with you while buying the gear so that you can choose the right products. Also, make sure the garments in use are sport specific. The typical sports garments in use include T-shirts, tracksuits, shorts and polo shirts.

Get a Check Up Done

Physical fitness is crucial when a child begins participating in a sport. Sports and the physical fitness necessary to participate in it provides an extra layer of cardiovascular protection. It strengthens the heart, improves lungs and makes the arteries significantly more supple. However, at times, things tend to go wrong horribly, leading to the death of a promising sportsman. You certainly don’t want this for your child. Getting a checkup will help to detect problems that may pose a health hazard later on. The conditions like untreated asthma, hernia or an undiagnosed heart condition can lead to severe problems later. The goal of the sports physical is to spot as well as treat the conditions that can put children when engaged in strenuous activities at considerable risk, even death.

Encourage Warm-Up Sessions

Warm up sessions are crucial prior to undertaking physical activity. The warm up sessions usually consist of a few cardiovascular exercises and stretches. These exercises are designed to enhance blood circulation, increase the body temperature and heart rate. Stretches warm up muscles, preparing it for movements.

The warm up exercises mentally prepare the child to undertake physical activities. This is chiefly helpful when the strenuous exercises are to be taken part in like hiking, cycling, lifting heavy weights or undertaking aerobics.

Ensure Proper Hydration

Water makes up a significant part of the weight of individuals. When engaged in a physical activity like football, significance lies in staying hydrated as that ensures more energy as well as decreased health risk while playing. Remember that compared to the adults, the children have reduced ability to keep themselves cool.

There are several children who come to practice dehydrated and moreover, the added pads and the protective gear prevent the body of cooling faster. Hydration forms a significant aspect of nutrition that is forgotten commonly. Loss of as little as two percent of the body weight can adversely affect sports performance. Dehydration also causes headache and fatigue, decreasing the mental acuity. The athletes can’t afford to be thirsty, thirst being a sign of dehydration. Drinking fluids before as well as after activity is crucial.

Make Sure Right Technique Usage

Usage of the right techniques brings down the risk of getting injured substantially. It is crucial to learn the strategies involved in a given sport. You can consider enrolling the child in the sports training institutes to help them learn the specific strategies. This brings down the sports related injuries caused to the bones, muscles and the tendons.

Cool Down

Just as it is important to warm up, it is crucial to cool down properly as well following an intensive physical activity. It is better to spend at least 5 to 10 minutes undertaking gentle form of exercises to bring down the heart rate. You can ask your child to walk or ride an exercise bike. Remember that the cool down strategy should be similar to warm up strategy.

Opt for Cross Training

Cross training refers to undertaking different types of sports as a part of the exercise regimen. It is better not to undertake just one type of sport but opt for multiple variants. It is crucial to play multiple sports since otherwise the child would be putting stress on the same joints and muscles. Ensure that the same muscles are not used continually.

Make sure to keep a vigil on the child while they play. If you see them limping or making use of the wrong body parts when they are well aware of the technique, dissuade them from playing for some time. In case the problem persists, it is time to take the child to a doctor.