By Brigitte Schmittlein and Abigail Simon

Injuries are often avoidable in the first place. Listed below are some precautions and tips to help avoid injury during any sports season, as recommended by girlshealth.gov and stopsportsinjuries.org:

– Warming up should be the first step before exercising. To warm up your muscles, you can jog slowly and do knee lifts or arm circles. Squats can also be helpful.
– Stretching is always necessary after warming up. Depending on the muscles used in a sport, you should do different stretches. Try to touch your toes! It is a great back and hamstring stretch. Just be careful not to over stretch, or you could get hurt.
– Use the right safety equipment for your sport, such as  mouthguards, eye protection, and appropriate footwear.  Make sure you’re wearing cleats for playing on turf.
– Stay hydrated and eat healthily. Also make sure you  get enough electrolytes.
– Play to win, but also play by the rules. Play that is too rough or aggressive can be harmful to all athletes involved. Make sure to always keep competition friendly.
– Cool down to help the body and heart rate return to a normal state. Cool downs can include gentle exercise or stretching.