Basketball, while offering many benefits to those who choose to play, also comes with the risk of getting injured. Injuries do not only take a toll physically on an athlete but also mentally, as they must watch their teammates play the game that they love, while not being able to participate. While you never plan for an injury, there are preventative measures that can be taken to lessen your chances of becoming injured while on the court.

Make Warm-ups and Cool-Downs a Priority

Warming up and cooling down are essential in injury prevention while playing basketball. Research shows that a muscle is more likely to be torn or strained when it is cold. When a muscle is warm and has been moving prior to strenuous activity, there is a less likely chance of an injury resulting. Not only should static stretches be implemented, but dynamic stretches are Cooling down after playing a game of basketball, helping the muscle cool down, but at a slow rate. This helps speed up the muscle recovery time, whereas when a cool-down is skipped, it significantly slows down the rate at which the muscle recovers.

Work with a Sports Medicine Physician

Sports medicine physicians are experts in the field of physical fitness and activity. Many people work with these physicians after becoming injured, however, it is not necessary to wait for an injury. Working with a sports medicine physician before being injured, makes it less likely to become injured, and strengthens the muscles that are more prone to become injured. Sports medicine physicians are excited to help local athletes excel and perform to the best of their abilities. Rexburg sports medicine is no exception. Those working with the athletes help them strengthen their bodies in any way that is needed.

Make Time to Rest

Many basketball-related injuries occur when the body is not adequately rested. Over-exertion of the muscles make them that much more prone to injury. There is a common belief that rest is a sign of weakness, however, that is not true. Rest is necessary in order to properly train your body to play basketball. It allows your muscles to become stronger and to heal from all the strain that happens when playing basketball. It essentially improves the body’s performance as it is fully able to recover from the stress of the game.

Listen to Your Body

Many athletes feel pressure to play through any pain that they may be experiencing. While that may seem to help the team, it is doing a disservice to you and your team. When our bodies feel pain, it is a signal that there is an underlying issue. When this pain is ignored, injury is much more likely to worsen due to the strain on the already tired body. To effectively prevent any basketball-related injuries, or to prevent the injuries from worsening, it is critical that athletes do not continue to play through any pain that they may be experiencing.

Conclusion

Although injuries may seem inevitable while playing basketball, there are many steps taht can be taken to help injuries from happening. As these steps are taken, you will find that your body will perform better, and will be less prone to getting injured.