Prevent sports injuries | Real Men Wear Gowns

INDIANAPOLIS — Every year, more than 8 million sports and recreation-related injuries are treated in the U.S., according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Health Statistics. About 2.6 million of these injuries are treated in emergency rooms alone.

Most injuries involve sprains and strains, fractures, concussions and overuse. 

So how can you “stay in the game?”

Dr. Andrew Hills, a sports medicine physician with Franciscan Health, joined 13News to talk about how to avoid injuries.

Before activities, Hills said there’s actually some evidence that it’s not as important to stretch.

“So we want more of our warm-ups to be more dynamic in nature, where we’re getting our heart rate up or kind of warming up those muscles,” Hills said. “There’s actually some evidence that stretching cold muscles before activities can actually be a little bit detrimental to our overall performance.”

But Hills says maintaining flexibility is important.

“It tends to be a lot better after activities, when our muscles are already warm,” Hills said.

If you haven’t been physically active in a while, Hills suggests going slow.

“Historically, if you were running three or four miles, and it’s been multiple years since you’ve done that, start small,” Hills said. “Start with a half mile, and kind of see how your body responds because going back too quickly definitely sets us up for injury.”

Experts recommend 150 minutes of moderate physical activity per week.

Hills recommends cross-training, along with making time to rest your muscles and recover.

“That’s huge,” Hills said. “We don’t want to do the same things over and over and over again because that can start to kind of wear down on our body, make us predisposed to injury, tendonitis, those sorts of things.”

For example, runners should build in lower-impact activities as well — including cycling, swimming or using an elliptical machine.

“(Doing that) gives those weight bearing joints and bones a break. And we also can’t forget about the strength component,” Hills said. “Our muscles protect our joints. If we don’t have that muscle mass, then there’s more stress going through our tendons and our joints. So our muscle is the way to protect these joints.”

Hills said the best way to get active and stay healthy is to develop a routine and stick to it.

“You can’t fake preparation,” Hills said. “It’s consistency. It’s like brushing your teeth. You should incorporate a little bit of it into your daily routine … and find what you love to do because when you find enjoyment in those activities that will keep you going.”