This is a common question I am asked and I simply reply," If you're not getting paid to play you should sit out until you get healthy." Now obviously all athletes must come to their own conclusion but if you are playing in a recreational league or just are an active person, you really have to think of the long term consequences of not taking the time to heal those wounds.
Justin Cardona is working with the East Lake YMCA in Oakland. Justin is educating the basketball players how to take care of their bodies, before and after their games. Many of the basketball players have nagging injuries like stiffness in their legs, back, and shoulders. Justin showed them a few S.M.A.R.T Stretch Techniques to allieviate some of their discomfort and get them on the road to rehabilitation. Some of the players experienced an immediate positive difference and others took some time to get the exercise down before noticing any difference. Overall, the players never thought that feeling healthy and loose could be so simple.
One player mentioned that he thought playing injured was part of the game. Although injuries are a part of the game and finding a way to play through them is a common practice, body maintenance and rehabilition should always be a part of an athletes program. There are some injuries that just need time to heal like an ankle sprain rather than taping the ankle up and playing. Injuries causes imbalaces in the body so an athlete must consider maintaining and rehabilitating the whole body. It maybe be tedious at times but it will pay off over time keeping you healthy and pariticipating in the sport that you love for a long time.
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