We hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving! The day after Thanksgiving usually includes a lot of lounging but also can include a fun game of touch football for many. Although the name suggests a nice, gentle game played by friends, it can often become fiersome, competitive tackle football.
You may increase your risk of injury by any of the following:
Certain manoeuvres – such as diving for the ball, changing direction and touching.
Lack of fitness – a certain level of fitness is required to play touch.
Inexperience – beginners may be more likely to be injured because they do not have the skills or technique to meet the demands of the sport.
Poor technique – holding or moving the body incorrectly can put unnecessary strain on joints, muscles and ligaments.
Failure to wear protective equipment – for example, using mouth guards can reduce the risk of injury.
Overtraining – training too much and too often can lead to a wide range of overuse injuries.
To decrease your risk of getting injured, consider the following:
Develop good skills and technique before playing in competitive games.
Warm up thoroughly before playing. Include plenty of sustained stretches.
Cool down after activity. Stretching is also an important part of your cool down routine.
Drink plenty of water before, during and after the game.
Make sure you are fully aware of and practice the rules of the game.
Work at improving your form.
Wear appropriate protective equipment, such as a mouth guard.
Safe playing to all!
http://www.betterhealth.vic.gov.au/bhcv2/bhcarticles.nsf/pages/Touch_football_preventing_injury?OpenDocument
