A warm-up can help prevent sports injuries

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It’s important to stay active. But many adults, especially men, leave out a crucial part of their fitness routine.

That part is the warm-up. Playing hockey without it is like going from zero to sixty. And when you’re driving a bit of a clunker instead of a Porsche, you could do some serious damage.

For most guys who play pickup hockey, this is the extent of a pre-game warm-up.

Ron Wilson, former NHL player and coach: “I get warmed up tying my skates up.”

Rushing to get on the ice in time, even former NHL’er Ron Wilson skips the stretch.

With adult obligations, you may have a less flexible schedule — but your muscles are stiffer too.

Dr. Ralph Sciullo, sports chiropractor: “Our tissues lose elasticity as we get older.  We become stiffer in general. So we don’t really have that margin of error which we do when we’re young.”

Grown men are much more likely to tear a muscle playing sports, meaning a dynamic warm-up is essential: “This warms up your legs also”

Five minutes of movement — lunges, jumping jacks, and kicks — can make a big difference.

Cooling down is almost more important. Players should stretch for at least five minutes after the game. But unfortunately, most of these guys usually head upstairs instead to cool down with a beer.

Recovering from an injury takes significantly longer and a serious injury can toss you into a vicious cycle.

Ron Wilson: “You can feel the pains a lot more and it takes a lot more, a longer time to recover.”

Dr. Sciullo: “Scar tissue tends to form which hampers our ability to recover.  And then when we do recover, the tissue isn’t the same as it was previous to the injury and we’re at increased risk for a re-injury.”

Even with the risk, the benefits of activity are worth it.

Dave Robson, hockey player: “I think if I didn’t play, I’d be another 40-50 pounds heavier.”

But if you don’t prep before playing, you could be permanently sidelined.

These suggestions apply across all sports. And ladies, you shouldn’t be skipping the warm-up either. We don’t want anyone to stop playing, just make sure your body is ready before you ask it to kick into high gear.