While some injuries will happen spontaneously as you play your favorite sport, many of them are avoidable if you simply take the right precautions. If you are about to begin a new sporting season and are concerned about getting injured, here are some of the best tips for preventing injury.

Plan Recovery Time

Whatever sport you play, it is not good to train seven days per week. You should plan to take at least one day off every week. In addition, you should plan for the long term and try to take at least one month off per year from your training. This will ensure that your body gets time to recover properly so that you can prevent injury in the first place.

Wear the Right Sports Gear

This may seem obvious, but it is surprising how many players cut corners, especially when they feel that they are experienced  Make sure you wear that extra shoulder pad or helmet and always wear proper footwear. No matter how good or experienced a player you are, you are not immune to injuries. You also should not believe that because you are wearing the right gear you cannot get injured. If you take unnecessary risks, you will still get an injury.

Stretching and Strength Training Are Musts

In order to ensure that you do not suffer an injury, make sure that you do conditioning exercises as part of your regular routine. You should also be doing some form of strength training to build your muscles. Make sure that you finish off each playing session with stretching exercises. This will increase your flexibility during your games. In fact, stretching should be a part of your regular fitness routine.

Don't Overheat

Heat-related illnesses are possible while playing sports. In order to avoid these, you should make sure that you drink lots of fluids before, during, and after the game. Avoid playing during times when there is excess heat. Always wear light clothing during the times when there is a high degree of heat because this will help you to stay cool and avoid serious heat illnesses like heatstroke.

Playing sports is a lot of fun. However, getting injured is not. You should try as much as possible to avoid an injury that will sideline you. If you wear the right clothing, rest, exercise properly, and keep hydrated, you can greatly reduce your chances of getting a sports injury.

For more information, contact a sports medicine physician.