If you are a star Texas athlete who has recovered from an injury, you are probably familiar with many of the ways that Texas sports medicine can work to cure and heal mild to severe injuries. What many athletes fail to consider, however, is how to take steps to ensure that they do not injure themselves again, and often one might find them back in a Texas sports medicine clinic with the very same injury several months down the line. To prevent this from happening to you, consider the following steps:
1. Get physicals. Before practice season begins, or even just on a regular basis, go see a doctor and get a physical to make sure you do not have any issues related to your health of which you are not presently aware. Many people, including athletes, have a diabetic condition and do not even know it. Knowing that you have high blood pressure before engaging in any extreme physical activity may in fact save your life.
2. Take it slow. Don’t jump into an exercise goal full force without any boundaries or limitations. Set a reasonable goal and slowly work your way toward it. Trying to do too much too quickly is a speed train to injury. Mix up your routine so that your entire body is getting a workout over a range of days. Try some low impact exercise as well. Go swimming. Take up mountain biking. Go for a brisk walk in the morning or evening.
3. Be sport specific. Train certain muscles and tendons to be equipped to take on your particular sport of choice. As an example, you might build up your forearm muscles instead of your biceps if you intend to become actively engaged in playing a lot of tennis. Tennis elbow occurs when the forearm muscles are too strained to bear the repetitive motion of the sport. Make sure you learn and employ the appropriate technique for whatever sport you are going to be engaged in, as well.
4. Warm up and cool down. Exercise to warm up before participating in a sports activity for about ten minutes, then repeat afterwards for about ten minutes in order to cool down. This helps get the heart pumping and respiration moving blood into your muscles, which keeps muscles and joints from suffering injury or damage, and also prevents you from having to revisit a Texas sports medicine doctor. Stretching and brisk walking are great methods of warm ups and cool downs.
5. Don’t take risks. Don’t try to make your body do things it was not made to do.
