Know what to do in order to prevent your little athlete from getting hurt.
Warming up is essential when it comes to preventing sports injuries. But how do you teach that to children who are ready and raring to go and who just want to get in the game? Here’s a lesson plan:
• Educate. Let your children know that by warming up they are reducing their risk of injury, and that many common childhood sports injuries mean having to sit out and miss practices and/or games. Talk to them about the body parts they’re using when kicking a soccer ball or swinging a bat and show them exercises to warm up those areas.
• Encourage. Make warming up fun. Let each child lead the others with a stretch of his or her choice. Have them play a game of tag or some other activity to get blood flowing. Time them as they run the length of the field or keep count as they skip rope. Or ask the kids to form a circle and then go around and let each child have a turn choosing a warm up exercise for everyone to do.
• Exemplify. Practice what you preach and be an example to your kids by warming up before you go for a run, set out on the bike path or get up to bat at your company’s softball game.
To learn more about preventing sports injuries, talk with your doctor or call 1-855-868-6262 for a physician referral. Medical Center Arlington is the official hospital of the Texas Rangers. Find out more about the sports medicine services we offer by visiting us online.
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Protecting Your Athlete Against Common Sports Injuries
