In today’s age of health and fitness, more and morekids are involved in sporting activities. Although beingpart of a football, soccer or Little League team is animportant rite of passage for many children, parentsand their children could be overlooking the importanceof proper nutrition and body-conditioning needed forpreventing injuries on and off the playing field.

“The majority, if not all, sports are good, provided thatthe child prepares appropriately,” says Dr. TimothyRay, a member of the American ChiropracticAssociation’s Council on Sports Injuries and PhysicalFitness. “Without proper preparation, playing any sportcan turn into a bad experience. There are structuraland physical developmental issues that need to betaken into consideration before children undertake certain sports.”

Highly competitive sports such as football, gymnasticsand wrestling follow rigorous training schedules thatcan be potentially dangerous to an adolescent orteenager. The best advice for parents who have youngathletes in the family is to help them prepare their bodies and to learn to protect themselves from sportsrelated injuries before they happen.

“Proper warm up, stretching and weight-lifting exerciesare essential for kids involved in sports, but many kidslearn improper stretching or weight-lifting techniques,making them more susceptible to injury,” says Dr.Steve Horwitz, an ACA member from Silver Spring,Maryland, and former member of the U.S. SummerOlympic medical team. “Parents need to work withtheir kids and make sure they receive the proper sportstraining.”

“Young athletes should begin with a slow jog as a general warm-up, followed by a sport-specific warm-up. They should then stretch all the major musclegroups,” says Dr. Horwitz. “Kids need to be instructedin appropriate exercises for each sport to preventinjuries.”

Proper nutrition and hydration are also extremely vital.“While an ordinary person may need to drink eight toten 8-ounce glasses of water each day, athletes needto drink even more than that for proper absorption.Breakfast should be the most important meal of theday. Also, eating a healthy meal two to four hoursbefore a practice or a game and another within one totwo hours after a game or practice allows for properreplenishment and refuels the body,” adds Dr. Horwitz.

Young athletes today often think they are invincible.The following tips can help ensure your child does notmiss a step when it comes to proper fitness, stretching,training and rest that the body needs to engage insporting activities.

AMERICAN CHIROPRACTIC ASSOCIATION .,, WWW.ACATODAY.ORG

Keep Young Athletes Healthy & Fit

HEALTHY LIVING

Encourage your child to:

• Wear the proper equipment. Certain contact sports, such as football and hockey, can be dangerousif the equipment is not properly fitted. Makesure all equipment, including helmets, pads andshoes fit your child or adolescent. Talk to yourchild’s coach or trainer if the equipment is damaged.

• Eat healthy meals. Make sure your young athleteis eating a well-balanced diet and does not skipmeals. Avoid high-fat foods, such as candy barsand fast food. At home, provide fruit rather thancookies, and vegetables rather than potato chips.

• Maintain a healthy weight. Certain sports, suchas gymnastics, wrestling and figure skating, mayrequire your young athlete to follow strict dietaryrules. Be sure your child does not feel pressuredinto being too thin and that he/she understandsthat proper nutrition and caloric intake is neededfor optimal performance and endurance.

• Drink water. Hydration is a key element to optimalfitness. Teenage athletes should drink at least eight8-ounce glasses of water a day. Younger athletesshould drink five to eight 8-ounce glasses of water.

• Drink milk. Make sure your child has enough calciumincluded in his/her diet. For children over twoyears of age, ACA recommends one percent or skimmilk rather than whole milk. Milk is essential forhealthy bones and reduces the risk of joint andmuscle related injuries.

• Avoid sugar-loaded, caffeinated and carbonateddrinks. Sports drinks are a good source of replenishment for those kids engaged in long duration sports, such as track and field.

• Follow a warm-up routine. Be sure your child orhis/her coach includes a warm-up and stretchingsession before every practice, game or meet. Aslow jog, jumping rope and/or lifting small weightsreduces the risk of torn or ripped muscles.Flexibility is key when pushing to score that extragoal or make that critical play.

• Take vitamins daily. A multi-vitamin and Vitamin Care good choices for the young athlete. Vitamin Band amino acids may help reduce the pain fromcontact sports. Thiamine can help promote healing.Also consider Vitamin A to strengthen scar tissue.

• Avoid trendy supplements. Kids under the age of18 should avoid the use of performance-enhancingsupplements, such as creatine. Instead, theyshould ask their coach or trainer to include weeklyweight training and body-conditioning sessions intheir workout.

• Get plenty of rest. Eight hours of sleep is ideal forthe young athlete. Lack of sleep and rest candecrease performance. Sluggishness, irritabilityand loss of interest could indicate that your child isfatigued.

Chiropractic Care Can HelpDoctors of chiropractic are trained and licensed totreat the entire neuromusculoskeletal system and canprovide advice on sports training, nutrition and injuryprevention to young athletes.

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For more information on prevention and wellness, or to find a doctor of chiropractic near you, visit ACA’s website at www.acatoday.org/patients.