Tips for Spring Baseball Injury Prevention
When spring is in the air, baseball is too. Whether you play on a league or you’ve got a kid getting in the game, prevention is the best measure to take to avoid injuries. While you can’t always stop an accident from happening, these tips will minimize your risks for injury while playing everyone’s favorite springtime sport!
1. Wear proper gear
Baseballs, softballs too contrary to the name, can cause serious injury. Make sure you always wear a helmet when at bat. Keep shins protected with shin guards, cover elbows with elbow guards, and properly protect yourself or your child with this equipment. It will minimize injuries if you do get hit.
2. Use safe slide techniques
Sliding causes many of the injuries that physiotherapists see from baseball. It’s best to avoid sliding but if you must, use the safe sliding techniques that coaches teach. This will keep you in the game rather than on the sidelines the rest of the season.
3. Always warm up and stretch
You might not be in the MLB, but you still need to warm up and stretch before you play. Even if you’re just playing a casual game with friends at the park, your body must be primed for these kinds of movements. Do a warm up before the game and between innings, make sure you stretch to avoid pulling muscles.
4. Choose cleats
Cleats really help you get better traction on the ground. Wearing them will give you solid footing so you’ll be less likely to pull something. Plus, you’ll improve your game by gaining more speed.
5. Make it a point to hydrate
It’s hot out there, and all that running around is enough to deplete your hydration. You’re losing lots of fluids while sweating so trot over to your water bottle often and replenish yourself.
6. Rest up between games
There’s a reason professional athletes don’t play games back-to-back every day. Your body needs proper rest so that it can repair muscle tissues. During this time, make sure you stretch and do those physiotherapy exercises to prevent problems.
7. Keep active to stay on top of your game
When you’re in the off-season or between games, rest is important however, so is keeping your body active. A balance between these two is an excellent way to enjoying playing ball. Strength-building activities are ideal for cracking that bat while cardio will help you keep up on the field.
If you’ve had an injury before, you should make sure to handle it the right way. A physiotherapist can help you stay in tip-top shape for any game. In Your Home Therapy offers physiotherapy services that come to you in your home so you can get the care you need at your convenience and enjoy your baseball season!
