Although staying active is imperative to maintaining good health, sports injuries are all too common. In fact, millions of people suffer from sports injuries every year.

If you're a fitness enthusiast, familiarizing yourself with sports injury prevention is essential. Not only are injuries painful and expensive but they can set you back months in terms of training and fitness level.

To learn how to prevent sports injury, just keep reading!

Don't Skip Your Warm-Up

As excited as you might be to hit the ground running in the gym, on the court, or even in front of your TV, it's vital that you never skip your warm-up. When you're at rest, your muscles are cold, making them more prone to injury.

Tell your body it's time for a workout by taking a few minutes to warm-up by going for a quick walk or bike ride. Do not stretch as a warm-up. Trying to stretch cold muscles is just as dangerous.

Listen to Your Body

As any health professional will tell you, one of the best things you can do for injury prevention is to listen to your body. If something feels off, take a break. Don't continue to push yourself if you begin to feel pain or discomfort.

Sports injury recovery is possible, but it's far better to avoid injury in the first place. If you're worried you're already injured, don't be afraid to reach out to a physical therapist for more information on physical therapy and recovery tips.

Stay Hydrated

The main ingredient in the human body is water. You should be drinking between 2 and 3 liters of water a day, and that's without losing any water through sweat. When you're physically active, you need even more.

Depriving your body of water is not only dangerous because it can lead to fainting but dehydration is also a significant factor in fatigue, which is one of the primary causes of injury.

Be sure to drink plenty of water before, during, and after any physical activity, on top of making a point to stay hydrated in your day-to-day life.

Prioritize Rest

In order to reach your goals as fast as possible, it might feel like common sense to train as often as you can. However, this is a huge mistake. You should be taking at least 2 rest days per week to minimize your risk of athlete injury.

Now, you shouldn't sit on your couch all day during your rest days. But instead of your normal workout routine, do light exercise only. This can mean going for a walk around your neighborhood, taking a swim, or riding your bike.

Become a Sports Injury Prevention Pro With This Guide

Health organizations such as the CDC and the American Heart Association recommend a minimum of 150 minutes of physical activity per week. And more is almost always better.

But being physically active comes with risks, which is why it's so important to be knowledgeable about sports injury prevention. As you can see, keeping yourself safe isn't difficult. It's all about being patient with your training and putting your health first.

Interested in learning more about maintaining peak physical fitness? Take a look at our blog!