Common Winter Sports Injuries

When it comes to participating in winter sports it can be an exhilarating experience and a whole lot of fun. But because exercising in the cold places heavy demands on the body there are some common winter sports injuries that you can avoid with a little bit of planning.

Of course the most heard about problem is hypothermia. You can avoid this problem by dressing properly and layering your clothes so that you can remove or add layers as necessary. It is also important that your head, feet, and hands stay dry so pack along extra gloves, hats, and socks. Watch for signs of hypothermia such as numbness, grey skin tones, or becoming extremely tired. With a little bit of caution there is no reason to suffer from hypothermia.

But there are other injuries associated with winter sports. Sunburn is more common than you might think. Even though it’s cold and cloudy the UV rays still get through so always wear tight fitting sunglasses or goggles that have UV protection and be sure to use sunscreen.

Blisters are very common in the winter especially if your footwear doesn’t fit right or your socks get wet. Blisters commonly develop on the toes and ankles. You can avoid this by always wearing dry socks and making sure your ski boots, hiking boots, or other winter fit wear fit snugly but aren’t too tight.

Sprains and strains are also more common during the winter months. That’s because your muscles never completely warm up and cold muscles are more prone to injury. Skiing, snowboarding, and skating both place heavy demand on the knees, ankles, and feet and these are the three most common areas for sprains.

Snow blindness is something you don’t hear a lot about but it does happen quite frequently. Snow blindness is caused by the cornea of the eye getting sunburned by the UV rays. If you are experiencing blurred vision and painful watery eyes there’s a good chance you have snow blindness. You should seek medical help. You can avoid snow blindness by wearing well fitting UV protective sunglasses or goggles.

Frostbite can occur rather quickly. It’s the result of the skin tissue becoming frozen. Ice crystals stop the flow of blood around the skin cells which deprives the skin of oxygen and nutrients. The skin then dies causing frostbite. Frostbite can be very serious if ignored. You can actually loose fingers and toes to frostbite very easily. So stay dry and stay attentive. Watch for signs of numbness and immediately head indoors to warm up.

You should always be prepared for winter sports. If you haven’t exercised in months and suddenly your hitting the ski slopes you are fighting the cold and being out of shape and are more likely to get injured. Why not start a fitness program a couple of months before the ski season. The more in shape you are the less likely you’ll become injured.

You should also do warm ups before heading out to the slope. Warm up exercises will get the muscles loosened and pliable so that when you head down that slope you are not as likely to twist or sprain something. Warm muscles always are less likely to get hurt.

Before you head to the slopes spend a couple of weeks getting acclimatized to the cold. When your body is accustomed to being out in the cold it responds better. Start spending time outside a couple of weeks before you start skiing.

Winter sports are a whole lot of fun and wouldn’t you be bummed if you had to sit the season out because you sustained an injury. Be a smart player and be ready for a season of adventure and fun and leave the injuries to someone else. Whether you are skiing, snowboarding, skating, cross country skiing or participating in any other winter sports these common winter sports injuries can be avoided.

Aura Mirchandani is the Editor and Publisher of Article Click. For more FREE articles for your ezine and websites visit ArticleClick.com. Article Click is a free content article directory.