Keeping Your Young Athlete Healthy

By Donna Stark

We all want our children to be successful, but if your first thought is to encourage yours to hunker down and specialize in one sport, you may be increasing their risk of getting hurt. Why? Well, by sticking to only one sport, your young athletes will be performing the same motions over and over and over again, and that can lead to overuse injuries and burnout. Because of that, it may be more beneficial for your children to take a break from their main sport and train for something else during certain parts of the year.

Tips to Follow

Because the body is subjected to repetitive motions, excess stress, and reduced healing time while specializing in a single sport, you may want to consider taking certain precautions with your children's training and schedules. Take a look at the following tips your local chiropractors at The Joint Chiropractic recommend.

• Cross-training - By participating in cross-training and engaging in different sports, your child will be exposed to a wider range of skills, techniques, and movements. This will help activate and balance the use of all the muscles and joints in the body.
• Adequate rest - To avoid pain, injury, and burnout, your child needs to have adequate time to rest and recharge. This means your athlete shouldn't do extra workouts following a practice or game, and should take a couple of months off from a single sport to engage in something else.
• Signs of pain - Many children ignore the warning signs that their body is sending when a problem is developing, so it may be up to you to keep an eye out for them. Watch for changes in the way they move and perform, and look for subtle signs they are hurting.
• Proper training - While playing the sport of their choice, it is vital your child is also training properly with strength, flexibility, and balance exercises. This is the best way to reduce the risk of pain and injury and improve the function of their body.

Keeping Your Athlete Healthy

Participating in multiple sports or training schedules throughout the year will provide the most benefit to your athlete because the stress on the body will be limited over a shorter period of time. In addition to that, your child will be exposed to different settings, coaches, and friends. So, encourage them to spread their wings and try something new. Who knows? Your child could be very successful in all the sports they attempt!

To learn more about your health, wellness, and fitness, see your local chiropractor at The Joint Chiropractic in Farragut, Tenn.