Whether you play sports as a career, for exercise, or just for fun, the last thing you want is to get sidelined by an injury. In this blog post, you’ll learn about the top five mistakes of athletes, and how you can keep yourself from committing them.
Mistake #1 You Don’t Warm Up or Cool Down.
Studies have shown that warming up promotes or increases muscle extensibility, thereby preventing fatigue and soreness post-workout, and that cooling down can help reduce lactic acid buildup in your muscles, which contributes to muscle cramps or stiffness. These translate into a lower risk for injury.
Typical warmups include doing the kinds of movements and exercises you’ll be doing when playing your sport or doing your chosen exercise. The difference is you do them at a slower pace or lower intensity. For instance, if you’re going for a run, start by walking briskly for 5-10 minutes.
Cooldowns have the same effect as warmups, but they’re done in reverse. For example, to cool down from a run, you should end your session by walking briskly for 5-10 minutes before completely stopping.
Mistake #2 You Neglect Rest Days.
Your body is a sophisticated machine that moves efficiently. Nonetheless, it needs rest. Rest days are those in which you do lighter, low-impact cardio exercises that encourage blood flow. This, in turn, promotes muscle recovery.
If you skip rest days, not only are you limiting the ability of your muscles to grow back stronger, but you put more strain on them. Lack of rest can lead to an overuse injury, which puts you out of play longer than the amount of training time you “lose” when taking a rest day every so often
If your sport involves mostly weight training, you should take a rest day between working the same muscle group. For instance, you can work out your back and arms on one day, and your legs and glutes the next day.
If your sport involves mostly running and staying lean, your rest days should involve different kinds of exercises that use different muscle groups that when you run. For instance, if you are training for a marathon, you run long distances on training days, and you can do casual swimming on your rest days.
Mistake #3 You’ve Embraced the Warrior Mindset.
Another common mistake many athletes make is that they play through an injury, especially if they are half way through a game or match. While it may seem worth it to play through the pain, it can actually be counterproductive. It can even pose potentially serious risks, particularly if you sustained a fracture.
In general, playing through an injury means it will take a longer time to heal than if you rested it and waited for it to heal completely. It can also lead to further injury, as it can prompt the surrounding structures to work extra hard to compensate for the original injury.
It’s always best to talk to a doctor, especially a sports medicine doctor, about ways you can keep active while recovering from injury, which we’ll discuss more below.
Mistake #4 You Wait Too Long to Seek Proper Treatment.
Okay, so you know better than to play through an injury. However, are you the type of person to wait for an injury to heal on its own? Minor sports injuries will heal on their own, but it is important to see a doctor if the injury is not healing fast enough or is giving you other issues.
You should see a doctor as soon as possible for a sports injury if, aside from pain, you have swelling, tingling, or redness after the injury; if your symptoms get worse despite basic remedies; or if your injury disrupts your daily life or workout routines.
The type of treatment your doctor will recommend will depend on your specific injury and its severity. Mild to moderate injuries respond well to conservative interventions, such as platelet-rich plasma (PRP) therapy and physical therapy. Severe cases, however, often warrant surgery.
Mistake #5 You Rush Your Recovery Time.
No one likes to be told they have to sit out from their sport because they got injured. Yet, it is crucial you listen to your doctor and don’t rush your recovery time; otherwise, you could reinjure yourself, and you’ll have to start the recovery process all over again. It is important to slowly reintroduce yourself to your sport because areas that have been injured never heal as strong as they were before the injury, and can get injured more easily than before.
Nonetheless, sitting out of your sport doesn’t mean you have to stop working out altogether – you can work out other parts of your body in the meantime. For example, if you sprained your ankle while running, you could focus on upper-body exercises, instead, to keep your strength up in general. Your doctor can help you come up with a workout plan to keep you active while you recover.
Sports Medicine Doctor Near Me in Pembroke Pines or Lauderdale Lakes, FL
At Total Orthopaedic Care, our board-certified sports medicine physicians have it a mission to help athletes of all ages and anyone leading an active lifestyle bounce back from their injuries, move safely and effectively, and ultimately achieve their full potential.
Book an appointment with one of our providers today. Call us at 954-735-3535, or request an appointment here.
