One of the most popular spring and summer sports in Vancouver is rollerblading. If it is a sunny dry day, the walking and biking paths are filled with avid rollerbladers.
As with most sports, it is possible and even easy to get injured while rollerblading. Rollerblading accidents can result in visits to the emergency room and in long-term painful injuries.
The number of accidents and injuries can be decreased if you are sensible and take note of the following tips that are intended to help you prevent rollerblading injuries.
Avoiding muscle injuries
Rollerblading is a whole body sport. Even though it appears you are using only your legs, your core muscles and arm muscles are also being used. To prevent injuries to your muscles, stretch and warm up properly before you start.
If you are rollerblading on the street then make sure that you start out slow and easy and increase your speed slowly. This gives your muscles time to warm up and you are less likely to be stiff the next day as a result of your exertions. If you are going to be rollerblading on a track then do a few laps at a slow pace.
Wear safety equipment
It is important that you make sure that you wear all the protective clothing and equipment that applies to rollerblading. This includes knee and elbow guards, helmets and long sleeved shirts and trousers instead of shorts. This will help you to avoid injuring your joints when you fall, and will help avoid road rash or gravel burn if you slide.
You may still get a number of bruises from falling but you will keep your skin where it is supposed to be. The helmet will protect you from head injuries which is always a good idea.
Yeah … I know you feel like a geek, and no one else is wearing protective gear … but is permanently injuring your knees and elbows worth the fashion statement?
Learn to fall correctly
If you Rollerblade, falling is almost inevitable. Learn to fall safely in order to prevent injury to your hands, knees, elbows and head.
If you are half way into a fall, don’t try to stop it by putting your hands out … you’ll end up injuring your hands.
Fall in a rolling motion.Do not tense up, instead keep your body loose and relaxed. The rolling motion and a relaxed body will reduce the impact of your fall. Practice falling correctly in a padded gym or grassy area.
Avoid sunburn
Make sure that you wear a high UV protection sunscreen whenever you are outdoors, not just when you are rollerblading. The sun can cause a lot of harm to your skin and frequent sun damage has been implicated in a lot of skin cancer cases. Aside from these problems you should also note that sunburn can hurt a lot and you really do not want to have to suffer through that pain.
Avoid night accidents
If you are going to be rollerblading at night it is a good idea to wear reflective strips and light coloured clothing. If you are not visible it is very possible that you will get hit by a bike or vehicle. This can result in some very serious injuries that may leave you disabled for life. If you wear light clothing and reflective strips you can drastically decrease your chances of being injured because you are more visible and the vehicles will have time to slow down and pass you safely.
It is always important to make sure that you are as safe as possible no matter what sport you are taking part in. Rollerblading is no exception to that rule. There are definitely ways to make sure that you decrease your chances of getting injured though, so make sure you take every precaution to keep yourself safe.
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