Tips for Avoiding Sports Injuries for Older Adults

It's been said that age is a state of mind. For many older adults, this is definitely true. If you're like many of today's 40 and over crowd, you're probably even more active than you were in your 30s or even 20s. This is absolutely great news because increased activity levels are linked to lower stress levels and overall better health and wellbeing. Unfortunately, as young at heart as your may feel, reality is that as the body ages, things change. Nutrition becomes more important, for starters. You can no longer eat a grease-laden meal of fried foods without feeling sick later. Listening to your body's cravings for fresh fruit and vegetables becomes increasingly important. Another thing that happens is your body doesn't recover from heavy exercise or injury as quickly as it used to. A minor sprain or strain that would barely have slowed you down in your 20s now takes several days or even weeks to completely heal, with major injuries taking even longer. Because of this, preventing injury in the first place becomes even more important. The following tips will help you avoid common sports injuries so you can enjoy that active lifestyle with fewer interruptions.

• Talk to your doctor. It's the advice everyone gives that no one likes to follow. However, it is important to see your doctor to make sure you don't have any underlying condition that could affect the way you exercise. If you have a condition, you can create a safe plan for staying active with your doctor's advice.
• Don't neglect to warm up and cool down. Maybe you used to be able to dive right into a pickup game of b-ball, but doing so now can easily result in a sprained back or ankle. Always take a few minutes to warm up and stretch to avoid starting an activity with cold, injury-prone muscles. A cool down is also important to avoid the buildup of lactic acid in the muscles, reduce the risk of dizziness or fainting, and to help safely restore your body to a resting state.
• Find balance. Just as you need a balance of protein, carbohydrates and fat in your diet, you need a balance of strength training, cardiovascular activity and stretching. Doing just one sport or activity generally won't cover all these bases or work all your muscle groups, so try to participate in a variety of activities.
• Get professional help. If you've ever thrown your back out while swinging a tennis racket or a golf club, you know how easy it is to get injured if you don't use proper form. Getting lessons or coaching from a professional can teach you proper form and save you a lot of time on the sidelines. Bonus: you'll perform better at your sport in addition to staying injury-free.
• Be consistent. Doing a half hour of activity five to six times a week is much more safe and effective than trying to cram an entire week's worth of workouts into the weekend.
• Don't ignore what your body is trying to tell you. Above all, listen to your body. If you're feeling a little off or like you need to let up, do so. Trying to push it when your body is asking for rest is a recipe for disaster because you body will get what it wants, one way or another.
• Seek medical treatment. Finally, if you do end up injured and your injury doesn't improve in a reasonable amount of time with home care, get medical treatment. Websites such as

http://www.theccmc.com/ are a great source of information and can connect you with the type of specialist and treatment you need.

About the Author: Beth A. Stevens is a fitness expert and contributing writer who enjoys helping clients stay fit and injury-free.

Online Article Marketing Specialist.