In our last article, we talked about all the ways we can injure our upper extremities when participating in sports and training whether it’s football or gymnastics!  As upper extremity, orthopedic specialists, we have some ideas to help you keep those joints in tip top shape. With a few simple adjustments to your training regimen, you can protect yourself from unnecessary injury.

• Rest 1-2 days a week from your usual training or practice, this gives you a chance to rebuild physically and mentally.
• When training, don’t just focus on one muscle group; variety will help keep you balanced and total fitness makes for a stronger athlete.
• Encourage your kids to take 2-3 months off a year from their training.
• Have your children play multiple sports.  Children who play multiple sports are less likely to suffer from repetitive training injuries.
• Rotating your position on the team can help avoid micro traumas as well.

Injury does not have to be a fact of life when it comes to athletes.  Prevention is the key.