Warm weather has more children outdoors and involved in sports this time of year, and with 10 million sports injuries occurring annually, it’s important for you to learn how to protect your children.

Whether your child plays football, swims, dances or plays baseball, there are certain things that you can do to help prevent sports-related injuries. The MCGHealth Sports Medicine Center offers these seven tips:

1. Get a physical. Most school sports require a pre-participation physical evaluation to be completed before children can play on sports teams. However, if your child is signing up for extracurricular sports or recreation, you should still make sure his or her doctor has given them a physical and a green light to participate.
          
2. Don’t go from sedentary to practice or play. If your child has been inactive for a while, it’s a good idea to get him or her active several weeks before starting practice with a team or jumping right into game play.
        
3. Stay hydrated. Drink 16 ounces of water or a sports drink (about two glasses) one to two hours prior to exercise and another 7 to 10 ounces 10 to 20 minutes prior to exercise to ensure proper hydration. During exercise, general recommendations are to drink 6 to 8 ounces every 20 or 30 minutes.
        
4. Warm up. Flexibility is a key component of every sport, but stretching cold can increase your chance of injury. Be sure your kids warm up with light exercise for 5 to 10 minutes and then stretch. Hold stretches for at least 15 to 20 seconds (30 seconds is ideal).
        
5. Shoes matter. Sports that involve a lot of running put extreme stress on the foot. Take time to select the right shoe to ensure proper cushioning and balance. Shoe size, the arch of your foot and the sport you’re playing are all factors. If you’re unsure of the right fit, seek help at a specialty fitness store.
       
6. Target exercises. Sports such as tennis, baseball and volleyball often call for repetitive movements that can strain or tear muscles and tendons. Exercise that specifically targets these groups of muscles can be helpful in reducing the risk of injury.
         
7. Eat properly. Have breakfast every day to replenish your energy, and don’t skip meals, which can make you sluggish and increase the chance of injury. Also discourage children from eating too close to a workout, which can cause digestive discomfort. Instead, meals should be eaten about three to four hours before exercising, or small snacks such as a banana can be eaten about an hour or two prior to working out.

Remember, playing sports should be fun and healthy. So be a good sport, and follow these tips to prevent injury.

MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, the Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state. For more information, please visit mcghealth.org