How to Prevent Basketball Injuries

Basketball injuries can always present a fork in the road for athletes. The most difficult part of an injury is the road to recovery. Once an athlete is fully recovered from an injury they are excited to get back on the court and play. Although that drive to play again can cause some athletes to jump back in quickly. There are some tips I can offer to help prevent injuries again.

The best way that a basketball player, or athlete in general, can prevent another sports injury is through personal care and preparation. Stretching before any activity, practice, or game is a MUST every time. I recommend that players warm up with a quick jog or light run up and down the court before they start. After completing this run, it's crucial that you stretch your muscle after they are slowly loose so that you can prevent a strain or tear. It is not good for muscles to stretch them when they are cold. During my days of high school basketball, my coach would always have our team do 5 laps around the court to warm up. After that run we would meet up in the middle of the court for team stretches.

Another way to prevent and injury is to wear proper braces on the body part you have injured. The benefit of wearing a brace is that they are easy to fit, can be worn frequently, and can be easily adjusted for comfort to the affected area. A brace in general is used to prevent unusual movements that occurred before, causing the injury. After an injury occurs, it is somewhat hard to move the affected area. A brace allows an athlete to move the specific area more comfortably, and give support when moving the muscle or affected area. Another form of a brace would be using athletic tape or wrap. The benefits of taping the previously injured area is to improve the stability of the joint or muscle. For example, providing stability for the ankle joint. Tape can also provide a closer and more comfortable feel to the affected area. Tape also helps prevent unwanted movement and allows normal movements wherever possible, whereas a brace would not as much.

One of the most important concepts to remember when preventing future sports injuries is staying in shape. The reason that most NBA basketball players remain injured free is that they follow strict workout plans daily. One of the golden rules of sports is that the healthier you are, the more likely you are to avoid significant injury in the future. Not only staying physically fit is important, but having a healthy diet is critical in preventing injuries.

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