6 Ways to Stay Safe While Playing Sports

Playing sports is a great way to stay fit and have fun. Make sure your exercise routine stays that way by preventing injuries before they happen.

Warm up

Before you begin the game, start off with a good stretch. Stretching will help increase blood flow and get your muscles ready to work.

Don’t play when injured

Playing when injured often makes your injury worse. Most players know not to play when injured, but issues occur when a player thinks they are fully healed and ready to go when actually they are still recovering. When in doubt, wait an extra week or so before getting back in the game.

Wear protective gear

In certain sports, wearing a helmet or protective gear is an obvious move. Above that, when you wear a helmet make sure it is the right size, and the right type for the sport you are playing. Ski helmets won’t work as well as bike helmets if you’re biking, and vice versa. Wearing the proper helmet will help avoid head injuries.

Know your ability level

In many downhill sports, injuries occur when participants go way above their ability level. When first starting a sport, begin with baby steps. Losing control on the hills poses the risk of you getting hurt, as well as the possibility of hurting others if there is a collision.

Get enough rest

When we’re tired, our minds drift and we lose our ability to stay alert. With sports that involve control such as skiing and snowboarding, a lack of alertness can cause serious injuries and accidents.

Get concussions cleared by your doctor

Concussions are more common in sports with lots of physical contact. If you think you’ve had a concussion, you should never get back on the field until you have been cleared by a doctor. Suffering from a concussion increases your risk of doing so again.

With all sports injuries, going to see your doctor is the best first step. In the meantime, keep the acronym RICE in mind for all injuries.

RICE
Rest the injured part
Ice the injury
Compress the injured part with a bandage
Elevate the injured part with a pillow

Have questions about personal injury? Request our free book The Injured Victims Guide to Fair Compensation or call our personal injury lawyers at Auger Hollingsworth at +1 (613) 233-4529.

About the Author: Brenda Hollingsworth

Brenda Hollingsworth co-founded Ottawa’s Auger Hollingsworth in 2005 with her husband Richard Auger. Together, their mission was to create a personal injury law firm for Eastern Ontario that is unrivalled in the province for customer service and legal expertise. Brenda was named an Ottawa Business Journal Forty Under 40 award recipient and took home the Women’s Business Network’s Businesswoman of the Year award in the Professional category. She was also recognized as one of Ottawa Life Magazine’s “Top 50 People in the Capital.” She is often quoted as an expert and has appeared in media outlets such as CTV, The Globe and Mail, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, Sun Media, CBC, Toronto Star, Montreal Gazette, CFRA and many legal publications.

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