From Cramps to Sprains to Hairline Fracture to an actual Fracture; all of this occurs because of careless attitude towards sports or laziness to warm up the body before playing. It’s not only physical warming up that an individual needs, but he also needs a mental warm-up.
Prevention is better than cure is a very common saying that we hear almost every day. For something like sports, it applies to every individual whenever he/she goes out to play.
Here are some Do’s and Don’t’s for an Active Sports Person-
Do’s-
Stretching and Warming Up– This is probably one of the most important things for a sports person. Muscles need to be stretched before you play or it may lead to serious injuries. Not only that, the performance of an individual is reduced if the body is not warmed up. Warm-ups can be of many types. You can jog on the spot or take rounds of the field. This relaxes the muscles and reduces chances of cramps and sprains. Once stiffness is removed by warming up, it becomes easier to play. Something that can be used to monitor your warm-up workout is an activity tracker. You can monitor you heartbeat and the number of kilometers you have run. Gradually increasing the intensity of warm up will improve performance in the game.
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Proper Equipment– Every sport has its particular equipment. Shin guards for soccer, mouth guard for boxing and high ankle shoes for basketball are only a few examples. Proper equipment minimizes risk of injury and also improves performance. An active sports person should have proper equipment while playing. It’s essential and in some instances saves lives.
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Rest– Rest is one of the most important things for a sports person. It not only relaxes the body but also cold it down. A proper rest after a day’s play and a day’s rest after a Monday-Saturday work regime are essential. It refreshes the body to go and play again. Just like anything in this world can’t be finished without a break, same goes for sports. Rest basically gives a break to the body so that the individual can perform well. An individual should also do as much as his body allows or else rest will only lead to body pain which in turn would hurt the body.
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Balanced Diet– Eat well and stay healthy, a motto for sportsmen. A proportionate intake of proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins and minerals is essential for active sportsmen. It takes care of their immune system and keeps then fit and healthy to play. It increases their strength which is a very important part of sports. There are lots of medical and psychological advantages that a balance diet holds. To find them out, you have to eat them out.Carbohydrates play the most important part in providing energy to sportsmen. Bananas are an excellent supply but something even better is a nutrition bar which keeps up the energy for longer durations. Health chocolate also provides ample energy to play well and not feel weak.
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Regularity– Regularity in sports seems to be an issue with most of the sportsmen. Be it the professionals or amateurs. Illness or a simple injury can interfere with regularity. An active sportsman should try and be regular and if anything is holding him back then at least he should work on his body fitness. A simple jog or walk won’t hurt anyone, will it? If there is illness then all efforts should be put into its cure so that regularity can be maintained again.
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Meditation– As said above, mental warm up is as important as physical warm up. It prepares you to play any sport. Psychologically it prepares you for the difficulties that lie ahead. In long term it helps you to lower performance pressure and trains you to act calmly in situations in which you panic.
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Dont's-
Lazy Attitude– A lazy attitude towards doesn’t help at all. Lazy people find it extremely challenging to play sports and obviously perform well. It reduces boy activity and increases chances for obesity and puts an individual at a risk for some major diseases. It is never advised for a sports person to be lazy.
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Bad Food habits– Unhealthy food commonly termed as ‘Junk Food’ is not good for sportsmen. It promotes growth of fat and doesn’t contain the nutrients needed by a sportsman. These foods should be avoided as much as they can. Intake of junk food is okay if done couple of times a month. They are tempting because of their taste so an individual should make a conscious effort to reduce eating them.
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Drugs and Alcohol– These are one of the most dangerous things in a person’s life. They cause addictions and deteriorate body functioning. Slowly these things might end up taking your life. Everyone should stay away from them. A little bit occasionally doesn’t hurt but sportsmen should not have them at all unless medically advised.This reduces performance in sports and spoils the attitude of an individual towards the sport. Caffeine intake should also be reduced as it harms the body. This is especially for all the young active sportsmen.
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Exercise after Meals- Exercise after meals should be prevented as it leads to severe stomach ache. Sportsmen are suggested by their coaches to not exercise after intake of large amount of food. Vomiting and sickening are symptoms of this. Basically rest should be followed after two hours of eating; exercise is a big NO!
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These were the Do’s and Dont’s for all you sportsmen out there. Follow them and everything should go as smooth as silk!
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