Injuries are the most painful thing that can happen to players. They can take out a player’s chance to play the game he has always love to do. On the other hand, injuries place an additional burden to coaches, especially when the injured player is their key player.
But there are ways which can help players prevent the occurrences of basketball injuries. All they have to do is to play responsibly in accordance to those ways in order to get rid of such possible injuries. Yes, you read it right. In juries are always possible in any basketball game. However, the good news is that you can find interventions to limit and prevent such injuries.
Let’s look at some of the things you can do to prevent basketball injuries:
1. Exercise and work out every day
Exercise and work out are the foundations in establishing a physical being that can hardly be beaten by injuries. Strength and conditioning program falls in this category. The purpose of having this program, or routine, in every sport is to minimize the occurrence of injuries. You see, with the physical demands of the sport itself, you can be sure to experience uncomfortable muscle and bone pains.
As what I have explained, the purpose is to minimize only. It is impossible to stick to the idea of directly, or literally, saying to prevent such injuries because they are probable to occur in any event of the game. The thought of minimizing its incident can, thereby, support its idea to prevent its occurrence as well.
And so, how exactly can exercise and work out prevent the incident of basketball injuries? The simplest explanation would be this: these physical activities can help strengthen the muscles and bones, making them less vulnerable to tears, or breaks. The more you use your muscles, you give them the opportunity to develop and get stronger. Otherwise, inactivity can lead to muscle atrophy, also called as muscle wasting, causing the muscles to lose its size and strength. On the other hand, constant physical work out and exercise can help strengthen the bones. It can stimulate the body to produce more calcium the more you do physical exertion. Your calcium is vital in maintaining the integrity of your bones.
These are the reasons why players must do exercise and work out before they get to play in the actual ball game. Give special importance to this, and you can be assured that you can have the strength to overcome easy collapse of your musculoskeletal system.
2. Execute proper body mechanics with movement
At some point, basketball injuries can result from faulty body mechanics from certain basketball moves. A player might have twisted an ankle, or arm, too badly which causes an intense pain from possible tear of certain muscle groups, or possible break of the involved bone/s. On the other hand, a player might have positioned his hands inappropriately for a rebound, resulting to some finger injuries. These are just some of the examples on how players can acquire basketball injuries from faulty body mechanics.
The only way to prevent injury with these instances is to have proper execution. Work on your footwork more to prevent leg injuries. Practice doing your pivot and jump moves. Have the appropriate way of catching the ball when rebounding, or even catching it from a pass. Proper body mechanics can be very crucial to stick away from unwanted muscle and bone tears.
3. Avoid too much exhaustion
Vulnerability to injuries can also result from too much exhaustion in the ball game. Even though you have physically prepared for the heavy competition, you still have your limitations as a human being. Do not go beyond your limitations. Your body might get too tired, and then eventually gives up which can cause the rise of many physical injuries.
Do not push yourself too hard on every basketball game. You must learn to discipline yourself with regards to taking breaks in order to give your body the chance to redeem its strength, and then get back to the ball game. Bear in mind that over exhaustion of your muscles and bones would make them vulnerable to injuries.
4. Limit making fancy moves
This is another problem for some basketball players. Admit it. Some players get to experience injuries due to making fancy moves. Either they do such moves to show off or just experiment a little with their skills, they are still responsible for the incident of such injuries. Even though you are just watching players do the game, it is as if you can feel the pain when they experience heavy falls. And the worst part is that they put their careers and their lives at stake with this kind of sport.
Players must understand his capabilities and limitations. Before making fancy moves, they should think about their safety first. Making fancy moves that can cause you too much pain and suffering are not worth taking the risk for. However, it is impossible to stop players from doing such moves at some situations. The least you can do is to advise your players to limit taking those ones.
5. Take enough rest
Rest can help your muscles and bones regain their strength. Do not get confused about physical activity and rest as contributing factors to strengthening your musculoskeletal system. You see, as you expend the capabilities of your muscles and bones, they get tired too. To regain their strength, get them to rest. It is as simple as that. There is nothing really complicated about it. Musculoskeletal degeneration just comes up when you have total physical inactivity. And so, it is important to balance activity and rest for body strengthening.
6. Take calcium supplements
Since we are talking about preventing injuries here, I cannot help but include calcium in this topic. As what I have explained above, calcium gives the bone its strength and integrity. It can make your muscles and bones grow strong, lessening the chance of physical injuries from basketball.
Moreover, calcium supplements are way better than those milk products that contain it. The reason behind this is more on the physiological response of the body involving enzymes, or hormones, which would help the absorption of calcium in the body. To ensure better absorption, opt for calcium supplements.
Injuries take some time to heal. It can have you wait from months to years before you can play back in the game. For any player, you do not want to be stuck in one corner and watch you team win or, worst, lose ball games. The least thing you can do is to play smart basketball.
Picture credit: 1Happysnapper • Creative Commons Attribution
I enjoyed reading this. I was 16 when I blew out my ACL on the basketball court so injury prevention is key based on the particular demands basketball puts on an athlete’s body. A good strength and conditioning program is key to help prevent injuries. We don’t get stronger and faster by just playing basketball. We need to train and prepare our bodies for the rigors of the sport which translates into better performance on the court and injury prevention. In addition to a strength and conditioning program, proper warm up and cool down both pre and post game is critical to maintain a healthy playing level. Hydration and rest are also inportant as you so noted. For more information please visit http://www.preventsportsinjury.com and remember, you can perform 100%
Hi Sam,
thanks for your comment!
Sorry to hear about your ACL! In my time as a player and coach I have seen a good number of players having it ruptured, even a cruciate ligament rupture. It takes a lot of time to get back on track with these kind of injuries and not all players can cope with their injury mentally.
I totally agree with you warm-up much better and take our time to get our bodies warm.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts, I really appreciate!
All the best,
Eitel
PS: Nice blog you have there!!
Thanks for sharing your tips.
I am an athlete, I do running.
I haven’t encountered sport injury before but like what they say, prevention is better than cure.