There are many active residents of all ages here in Long Island, NY. Accordingly, there are also many opportunities to participate in favorite sports. Children, teens, and adults all have options for playing basketball, soccer, dodgeball, volleyball, lacrosse, and various other sports. Naturally, the available options depend on the season—there won’t be many chances to play baseball or softball in the next couple of months!—but it is certainly easy to stay active here in Nassau County.

No matter which physical activities are your favorites, all sports have something in common – the risk of injury. Now, we can always treat your foot and ankle injuries here at Foot Specialists of Long Island, but we would rather give you some injury prevention tips to keep you safe in the first place!

Weekend warriors—men and women who participate in intense athletic competition only on the weekends—and teens who play sports need to be especially careful. Fortunately, there are ways of preventing foot and ankle injuries that are not particularly complicated or difficult.

Some of the best tips include:

  • Find the right shoes for your sport and your feet. This means making sure that you play basketball in basketball shoes and go running in running shoes, etc. In addition to being sport specific, shoes should also fit properly.
  • Warm up and stretch first. Take 5-10 minutes to warm up by lightly jogging or briskly walking. Follow with dynamic (not static) stretches to prepare your muscles for action.
  • Make sure you are healed before returning to activity. Too many sports injuries happen when someone returns to action before completely recovering from a previous injury.
  • Listen to your body. If you are experiencing pain or tenderness above the heel, avoid high-impact activities. These are warning signs of Achilles tendinitis and could result in an Achilles tendon rupture.

These injury prevention tips can reduce the odds of becoming hurt in your favorite activities, but it is virtually impossible to completely eliminate injury risk. When foot or ankle issues arise, Foot Specialists of Long Island can provide the care you need.

Whether you already have an issue or would like additional tips for preventing foot and ankle injuries, contact us today. You can schedule your appointment at our Nassau County, NY podiatrist office online or give us a call at (516) 804-9038.

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