Nothing holds an athlete back more than a sports injury when it comes to performance and fitness. Even minor pain can severely impact your ability and throw you off your game. Unfortunately, many people experience some form of injury while they train or when taking part in the actual sport. Here are a few top tips to help keep your body in top physical condition.
Physiotherapy Treatments
A professional physiotherapist can do wonders for your performance. Treatments include sports massages, acupuncture, and a tailored exercise plan that caters to your particular needs. Sports massages can help increase blood flow and circulation, and this helps the body produce natural lubricants and boosts flexibility. Acupuncture targets musculoskeletal pain and discomfort, and it stimulates the central nervous system and encourages the body to naturally heal itself. Physiotherapy exercises are designed to boost performance by increasing mobility in the body and reducing pain. Enhanced Physio provides a variety of physiotherapy treatments to suit all needs. For more details, visit enhancedphysio.com.au.
Warm Up and Cool Down Properly
Warming up before a workout and cooling down afterward is vital when it comes to overall performance. Spending at least 10 minutes during each stage can reduce your likeliness of experiencing muscle soreness or getting injured. Warming up the body helps increase the flow of oxygen through your body and increases your heart rate so that you are ready for a strenuous workout. The cool down stage helps gradually return your heart rate to a normal pace and helps stretch out your muscles so that you don’t experience soreness or cramps.
Stay Hydrated
Staying hydrated and drinking the right amount of fluids for your body is essential for your overall health and well-being. According to Healthdirect, men should drink around 10 cups of fluids per day while women need around 8 cups. However, during exercise you will likely need to increase this amount due to the number of fluids you sweat out. A healthy way to stay hydrated is by drinking water before, during, and after each workout. Staying hydrated will help you recover better, it will reduce cramps and joint friction, and it can help prevent inflammation. Although there are plenty of sports hydration products on the market, drinking plain water will help you stay hydrated throughout the day.
Proper Footwear
You probably already know that excellent performance goes hand in hand with the equipment you use. Besides sport-specific gear and clothing, the right footwear can also help maximise your performance. Sports shoes have been designed for specific purposes, which is why you should don the most suitable pair of shoes before your workout. For example, running shoes have been designed to support feet in a forward motion, walking shoes are built with shock absorption, and basketball shoes have a grippy sole that is perfect for running and high tops for ankle support. Matching your shoes with the activity at hand can help increase comfort and decrease your chance of getting injured.
