Athletes who are trying to push themselves to the next level of training need to be sure that they are protecting their limbs and muscles. Here are some important ways to protect yourself while training for your next big milestone.
Stay Loose
Muscle knots and overtraining can put you out of the game quickly if they lead to a sprain or tear. Be sure that you stretch every time you perform your training. Take some days off, and be sure that you're not pushing beyond unreasonable muscle pain in order to achieve your goals. Weekly deep tissue massage can also help athletes to recover from intensive training sessions.
Small Injuries: Use "RICE"
You may think that your minor ankle sprain or sore muscle is nothing, but even these small injuries can affect your performance and even cause scarring. Use the medical acronym "RICE" to help you treat minor injuries. It stands for rest, ice, compress, and elevate. Rest your injury to prevent further damage, and use ice to reduce the swelling. You can use gauze to compress below and above the injury to reduce pain and inflammation. Finally, take a few days to keep your injury elevated over your heart as often as possible.
Moderate Injuries: Get Physical Therapy
Any injury that takes you out of the game is a cause for considering physical therapy. When you have an injury, the only way that you can be sure it will heal correctly is if you monitor it and take active steps to promote the correct healing. A sports physical therapy session will help you identify the ways that you can keep your injured area from becoming weak and stiff. Using a professional to help you recover quickly, you may be able to rebuild a muscle that is stronger than it was before the injury.
General Sports Therapy
In some cases, patients will find that a good sports physical therapy routine becomes an important part of their training. The minor muscle tears and injuries that are part of the growing process can be leveraged to make you a stronger athlete. Physical therapists can help you improve your run to provide speed and prevent injuries. They can also devise stretching and exercise routines to keep you safe during your sport.
Part of becoming a great athlete is learning to protect your body and take steps to push it safely beyond its limits. By considering these great protective steps for athletes, you can help yourself grow stronger in a controlled way.
Share14 July 2015
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