Baseball season started last month, and that means we’re seeing more baseball-related injuries already. Whether you’re a young athlete practicing to win, a parent coaching a pee-wee team, or an adult playing for fun with friends, it’s important to take precautions so you may prevent an injury. And our Lakeville chiropractor at Enlighten Chiropractic has some tips.
Warm-Up First
While you may have heard that warming up before exercise is vital, that isn’t limited to cardio. Every time you participate in a physical activity, including baseball, you should be warming up.
Before you coach, play, or practice, make sure you’re warming up all the muscle groups you engage during the sport, such as your core, lower back, hips, and biceps. When you move your muscles without warming up, they’re more susceptible to an injury. Plus, you gradually prepare yourself mentally when you warm up before playing baseball.
Limit Your Practice and Game Schedule
Whether you’re a coach or dream of going pro, it can take a lot out of you. Your schedule might be demanding, and you might push yourself every chance you get, especially if you participate in other sports or work out off the field. Therefore, it’s vital to limit your exercise time.
As a general rule, you should receive around 150 minutes of moderate-intensity exercise. Some people can handle more, depending on the exercises they participate in. On the other hand, some can’t. Therefore, you should aim for around that amount and listen to your body. If you are working out more than that and feel tired all the time or your muscles are sore and ache constantly, play baseball or work out a little less. Ultimately, this prevents over usage injuries.
Limit yourself to playing on one team only so you give your body a break here and there. If you’re playing baseball this season, try to avoid playing other sports that work the same muscles. This can reduce your risk of an overuse injury.
Consider Strengthening Your Muscles
During baseball, you engage various muscle groups. If you don’t use them frequently, you put yourself at greater risk of developing an injury when you resume baseball for the year. To prevent this from occurring, you must keep your muscles in the best shape possible all year. It could help to work these muscles out some when you’re not on the field.
Think About Working on Flexibility and Performance
Visit your local Lakeville chiropractor for sports therapy. Our practitioner can guide you through exercises that specifically focus on moving the muscles you use most during baseball and keeping them flexible. When your muscles are flexible, you’re less likely to stretch them beyond their limits and suffer from an injury.
Know the Right Technique and Rules
With baseball — and any sport really — make sure you know the rules of the game and the proper techniques. Consider signing up for classes or coaching with a professional if you’re unsure. When you understand the rules and techniques, you decrease your chances of sustaining an injury.
Get Treatment for an Injury Early
As a general rule, you want to avoid injuries as much as possible. However, in some cases, they’re inevitable and even pro athletes have been known to suffer from an injury from time to time. So if you do undergo an injury, don’t try to “suck it up.” Instead, receive chiropractic care for it immediately so you can heal properly and not risk permanently damaging the body part. In many cases, our chiropractor for personal injury in Lakeville can speed up the recovery time for you so you can get back to the game.
Our chiropractor in Lakeville, MN, wants you to stay safe on the field, and warming up can definitely help. Not to mention, training and knowing the proper techniques are necessary for injury prevention as well. And don’t forget to schedule an appointment with our chiropractor to target the muscles you use for baseball. We also provide injury treatment.
Book an appointment with us today by calling 952-232-1935 or using our appointment request form.
