While it can be easy to think that it’s only older people who get injured playing sports, this is far from the truth. New data published in the US shows which sports are responsible for the most number of young people visiting the emergency room (ER).
CNN shared the findings, noting that American football was at the top of the list, accounting for 14.1 per cent of all visits to ER. Basketball was in second place, with 12.5 per cent of visits as a result of injuries sustained playing this sport. Completing the top five were pedal cycling, soccer and ice or roller skating or skateboarding.
The research also showed that as children get older, the sport that caused an injury is likely to change too. It’s reasonable to assume that this pattern would continue into adulthood.
The most common injuries sustained during physical activity among US patients aged five to 24 were sprains, strains and dislocations. In fact, over one-quarter of ER visits were for one of these injuries.
Injuries to upper and lower extremities accounted for the majority of hospital visits among youngsters, with 62.6 per cent of injuries in these areas. 23 per cent of injuries, meanwhile, occurred to the head and neck.
Whatever sport you enjoy playing, it’s important to be aware of the risk of injury so that you can take appropriate precautions to prevent it, whether that’s by stretching, warming up and cooling down, or wearing suitable protective gear.
Popsugar recently spoke about the benefits of what it’s calling ‘prehab’, which refers to preventing an injury before it happens by taking certain steps.
The news site spoke to a number of fitness experts. Matt Delaney, national manager of innovation at Equinox, said that there’s no set way of preparing your body for exercise that works for everyone.
“Prehab refers to identifying and addressing movement pattern limitations before performing more advanced movements,” he explained.
That means the movements you need to do should be tailored for your body and its needs, he added. If you don’t know where to begin with this kind of thing, working with a sports therapist in Maidenhead, or wherever you live, could be the perfect place to start.
A professional will be able to look at your movement and identify which areas you need to work on.