Published on: 14-Oct-2024
Gymnastics is a popular sport for both men and women, with close to 5 million athletes participating in the sport in the US across all age levels. The sport requires tremendous mental and physical discipline, with gymnasts acquiring a positive body image, high self-esteem and a “can-do” attitude.
Physical benefits include strength, coordination, agility, and fitness. Unfortunately, gymnasts are also very prone to orthopedic injuries, with more than 86,000 gymnastics-related injuries in the U.S. each year.
In this episode of Sports Medicine Weekly, Dr. Cole talks with Brad Trompeter, who transitioned a very successful collegiate gymnastics career to a career as physical therapist. Brad and Dr. Cole discuss gymnastics injuries, how they are treated, and how athletes return to sport following injury.
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Prevention: Proper conditioning and plenty of rest
Parents and coaches can reduce their gymnast’s risk of injury by encouraging safe training practices.
- Warm up before every practice and competition. Warmups may include a light jog or other aerobic exercise, splits with proper technique, stretching, and gymnastics basics focusing on proper form.
- Do not attempt complicated gymnastics skills until you are strong, fit, and skilled enough to practice them safely. The harder the skill, the more strength and fitness it requires and the more likely an injury will occur. Studies have found that the higher the level you are in gymnastics the higher your chance of injury.
- Take time off every week to give your body a chance to rest and recover. While regular practice is important, constant, repetitive training increases the risk of injury.
- If something hurts, tell your coach or guardian, and see a medical provider. Don’t be a hero and muscle through pain. You’ll end up hurting yourself.
- Get enough sleep: The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends eight to 12 hours of sleep each night depending on your age and activity level. Research has shown that athletes who sleep less than eight hours per night were almost twice as likely to have an injury compared with athletes who slept for eight or more hours. Overly tired athletes are often more accident prone.
- Drink plenty of water and eat well: Staying hydrated and well-nourished is important to keep gymnasts strong and less prone to injury.
- Have fun: Gymnastics is meant to be fun. Make sure your gymnast is enjoying their time at practices and competitions.
Related:
Knee Injuries Seen in Gymnasts
The post The Physical Demands of Gymnastics: Podcast appeared first on Sports Medicine Weekly By Dr. Brian Cole.