Sports Then and Now

Sport injuries are more common than we’d like them to be. While 95% of injuries are typically small contusions and cuts, serious injuries happen daily. If you are injured, it’s important to manage it properly. Here are some tips for handling life after a serious sports injury.

Allow Proper Time for Healing

One of the biggest mistakes that people make is not giving the injury enough time to heal. Listen carefully to your doctor or physical therapists’ advice as to how long you should stay off your injury. Be careful to not rush your return to sports (if you can return). You may be anxious to get back to your sport of choice, but you’re not helping your team or yourself if you get hurt again or can’t play to your full potential.

In order to allow the proper time for healing, the correct injury must be identified. Experts with degrees in radiology specialize in CT, MRI, and x-ray procedures which target the injury allow doctors to determine exactly what happened during your injury and how severe the trauma is.

Do Your Exercises

Most injuries will require physical therapy to help you get back to normal. The focus will be first on regaining full motion of the injured appendage. Next, you will build up strength. Finally, you will regain endurance. Find a physical therapist that works around your needs and specializes in the treatment of your type of injury. Avoid neglecting your rehab process. Failure to do so will not improve your condition and can lead to more injury in the future. Read the rest of this entry →

Whether traveling through city or countryside, on a daily commute or across the country, every bike trip can use a little extra gear to make the trip that much easier. Everything from action cameras to active wear will keep your bike trip convenient and exciting.

Panniers

If you cycle to the store or around town, panniers are invaluable. These packs attach directly to the bicycle, making it easy to store items and ride without directly feeling an extra burden. Whether you’d like to pick up milk and groceries or transport light gear on a longer trip, panniers make transportation a piece of cake.

Active wear

Comfortable, athletic clothing can make the difference between an easy bike ride and an uncomfortable slog through the city. Moisture-wicking clothing, form-fitting shirts, and comfortable athletic shoes are just a few of the many necessities for the well-traveled cyclist. Companies like DHDWear provide stylish graphic tees provide a great example of bike-related clothing that fits in and looks great in non-athletic settings.

Lights

Nighttime safety measures are vitally important, but that doesn’t mean they’re a hassle. With reflective safety clothes and discreet-yet-noticeable flashing LEDs, you can be sure to stay safe when cycling in the dark. Headlights, taillights, and safety vests will increase visibility without much effort, giving you the power to explore the world when drivers have a harder time noticing cyclists. Read the rest of this entry →

Suffering an injury from activities you enjoy can be a disaster, especially if the injury is serious and leads to prolonged recuperation periods. But the time and challenges of recovery can be minimal if you observe these ways to shorten your recovery time.

First Steps

The first course of treatment following a sports-related injury is summed up by the acronym “RICE”—rest, ice, compression, and elevation. Rest the injured body part, apply ice to reduce inflammation and pain, wrap the injury snugly but not tightly, and elevate the injured limb to reduce swelling. Often modest injuries are best dealt with by allowing your body to rest and heal on its own.

Seek Help

There’s a big difference between minor sprains and pains and serious injury. If you’re really suffering, or if RICE does no good whatsoever, it’s time to see a medical professional. A specialist who has graduated from an online radiology school can help diagnose your injury by working with other healthcare professionals.

Take your doctor’s advice to heart, and give yourself enough time to properly recover. You may need to have surgery if your injury is serious. Be sure to follow through with any recommended physical therapy services to help you bounce back as quickly as possible. Read the rest of this entry →

Winter temperatures and snow typically compel a lot of people to stay inside. For many athletes, this is not the case, and they love to play snow and winter sports. In cold weather, ice and snow, certain injuries are more likely to happen. They are also more likely to happen in Alpine climates and the west and northwest where skiing is popular. Here are five common winter and snow sport injuries and treatments.

Dental Injuries

Amateur and professional skiers, snowboarders, and hockey players are plagued with chipped teeth and teeth completely knocked out, according to the Swiss Dental Journal. They are especially common for athletes that choose to not use mouth guards and other protective gear. The best treatment for these injuries is mostly cosmetic. There are a lot of dentists in areas where winter sports are common such as, Kyle J Frisinger DMD. Finding a dentist in your area that will listen to your concerns is recommended when deciding on a treatment plan.

ACL Injuries

Bad falls in competitive sports or for solo enjoyment, such as snowboarding and skiing lead to a variety of joint injuries. For example, bad falls on errant skis or snowboards lead may lead to knee injuries like damaging the ACL. Damaged ACLs can require extensive treatments and even surgery. Surgery is often followed by an extended recovery time full of special exercise, recovery devices, and intensive physical therapy. Read the rest of this entry →

Stamina and endurance are two terms widely and interchangeably used by most of the people without knowing what it actually means. According to the professionals, stamina refers to cardio functions whereas endurance to the muscular functions.

Therefore, stamina is said to be the ability of a person to work longer instead of harder. Endurance, on the other hand helps the person to exert while staying active for a long period of time, and have the ability to resist, withstand and recover at the same time. For this very reason, every sport requires sports specific stamina as well as endurance training. So, keeping that in mind, here are 3 exercises that will help you build stamina and endurance required to fight like a pro.

Jog, Run, & Repeat

Sounds simple enough, doesn’t it? Despite that, it affects the body in a wide variety of ways. Walking, for instance, is a simple, low impact exercise perfect to get more active. But, when combined with jogging or running at a slow speed can get the heart beat elevated. This can be thought as a perfect way to build stamina and endurance. However, this alone won’t do any good while preparing for a fight.

Reason being, in a fight you need to go hard at one moment, catch your breath the other and then again go back fighting hard. So, that means the heart rate won’t stay stable constantly, it will go up and down throughout the fight. Therefore, jog for a moment and then sprint as fast as possible, slow down again for 10 seconds to catch your breath and sprint again. This won’t be easy, you might as well want to give up. Instead keep pushing yourself forward. To build endurance there is no easy way, neither are there any alternatives to running only body wipes to wipe that sweat off. Read the rest of this entry →

Living your dreams after a serious injury sometimes seems impossible. However, with the right professional help, support system, and attitude, you can fulfill your goals, even after an accident changes everything. All you have to do is remember that when it comes to things like this you are never alone. Here are 4 other tips to help you keep living out your dreams.

Seek Medical Help

One of the main steps in moving on with life after an injury is to seek medical help immediately after the incident occurs. This is imperative to assess the physical damages you have sustained, as well as to preserve evidence for any future criminal charges or lawsuits. Once a treatment plan is in place, it is important to follow through with all of your appointments, even during times you do not feel like it. If you find yourself not caring about getting better or feeling helpless about the situation, it may be time to seek additional professional help.

Get Psychological Help

Though your physical injuries may be obvious, many victims do not realize the impact a traumatic event can have on your mental status. The NCAA states that a “psychological response to injury can trigger or unmask serious mental health issues such as depression, anxiety, disordered eating, and substance use or abuse.” Talk to a psychologist about your feelings, and discuss any changes you or others have noticed in your personality. Read the rest of this entry →