A recent study by Canadian researchers found that football players were at a higher risk of injury during practice and games that were played in the wintertime. Out of the five most common injuries studied, the risk for ankle and shoulder injuries rose by almost 150 percent. While some of the increase in injuries may be related to sports equipment reacting differently to colder temperatures, it’s important not to forget the colder weather’s effect on your body. Your muscles get tight and you have decreased mobility.

Tight Muscles More Prone to Injury During Wintersports

The cold weather causes your muscles to be tight, which causes limited mobility. This causes stress to your cold muscles as they attempt to pull and stretch, leading to strains, sprains and tears. Your muscles just do not perform as well as they normally would because if they are unable to utilize their full range of motion, you are at a greater risk for injury.

Turn Up the Heat to Prevent Injuries

Taking the extra time to warm up properly before wintersports can help you prevent being injured. Warming up increases the temperature of your muscles and makes them more flexible, thus maintaining their optimal range of motion. Your muscles react and relax faster, which helps them perform better.

The trick is making sure that you do the right type of warm up. Quick, higher intensity warm ups may do you more harm than good. You will want to stick to long and less intense warm up. Bodyweight mobility exercises that focus on strength and mobility are ideal for slowly warm your muscles up without causing fatigue before you even start your activity.

TIPS TO AVOID TWO COMMON WINTER SPORTS INJURIES

With colder weather on its way, it is important not to skimp on your warm ups before wintersports. Warm ups will loosen up your cold, tight muscles and prevent injuries that will keep you out of the action. In the event, you do suffer an injury that requires surgical care; you can always depend on the orthopedic surgeons at Iowa City ASC.  For more information about the Iowa City ASC Orthopedic specialty and winter sports, CLICK HERE.