DR. SHAWNA DINGMAN
Ahhhh… summer. It’s such a great time for getting kids into sports and activities. Here are 5 great ways to make sure your children can be competitive, confident and injury free.
CORRECT GEAR – Helmets, padding and shoes, properly fitting your children, are critical. We love to hand down anything we can between siblings, I get it. But making sure each child has equipment that is current, safe and the right size is required to ensure maximum safety.
DON’T OVER SCHEDULE – Life is busy. Kids need downtime too. When kids feel rushed and overwhelmed, they can’t possibly perform optimally. This can lead them to injury or lack of enjoyment of the activity. Check in with them regularly, to see how they’re feeling about their schedules.
CREATE VARIETY – The human body is designed to move in lots of different ways. Slow movement like hiking or going for a family bike ride would fall into this category. Fast movement like soccer, dance, rugby, lacrosse, etc. are great to build cardiovascular endurance. Strength training is a component of most sports and activities and is a great habit for kids to learn the importance of.
ADEQUATE FLEXIBILITY AND CORRECT STRUCTURE – Proper warm ups and cool downs as well as activity-specific stretching is necessary, to help children exercise safely. Where structure is concerned, getting your children’s spines checked for proper alignment is an excellent idea. You wouldn’t drive a car on wheels that are misaligned, would you? Exercising on a misaligned spine can create pain and/or problems as they grow and develop. See your chiropractor for a summer check up!
TAKE LOTS OF REST BREAKS – Kids can go go go. Then drop. Make sure you help them take a break, rest and rehydrate regularly. Rest and hydration helps prevent lactic acid build up in their muscles, heat stroke and headaches. To find out more about chiropractic care for you or your children and to book a spinal check up, please visit https://www.elevatewomenshealth.ca/chiropractic . Dr. Shawna Dingman is the owner of Elevate Women’s Health Centre in Port Perry. Her chiropractic clinic focuses on the care of women and children of all ages and stages. To get in touch with her call 647-995-1251 or visit her website at https://www.elevatewomenshealth.ca/ for more information.