Soccer is a very intense sport with a degree of physical contact involved. This applies to all levels of the game and injuries can happen in both professional and amateur level. When a person undergoes any period of prolonged physical activity there is always a risk of sustaining injury. The risk of injury is relatively low for most soccer players and there are steps that can be taken to further reduce it.
By learning how to prevent soccer injuries, you can minimize the chances of this happening to you. There are several injuries that are commonplace in soccer and most involve the legs. In particular, the upper and lower legs, ankles and feet are areas of the body that are most likely to be at risk.
One of the biggest causes of soccer injuries is failing to warm up properly before training or playing. If you have ever attended a professional soccer match, you will have noticed the amount of time players spend warming up before the game. This usually lasts for around 30 to 45 minutes in most cases. This ensures all the muscles in the body are loose and ready to meet the demands of competitive soccer. Research has shown that cold muscles are prone to injury. If you do not warm up before exercise, you are increasing your chances of picking up an injury.
Stretching is another activity that can help to prevent soccer related injury. This reduces both muscular imbalance and tightness. A series of stretching exercises should form part of any warming up or cooling down routine carried out before and after any period of exercise. This is known as a warm up and warm down and both have equal importance.
Equipment can have a big impact on the likelihood of sustaining a soccer injury. Using the correct footwear and protective equipment is very important in contact sports. The appropriate soccer shoes should be worn according to the playing surface and weather conditions. Some pitches will require the use of soccer boots with studs fitted while others will need moulded rubber blades.
The shins are an area of the leg that tends to come in for a tough time during soccer matches. The front of the lower leg is most vulnerable during tackles. Protecting the shins by wearing shin pads virtually eliminates most minor injuries such as gashes caused by football boot studs or even small hairline fractures.
The diet is an often overlooked way to prevent soccer injuries. The foods you eat can strengthen your bones, tendons and ligaments. Eating foods or taking vitamin supplements containing Calcium and Vitamin C will make your body stronger. It will be to your advantage if your bones are strong and means that any kind of fracture is highly unlikely.
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