What Are the Best and Worst Sports for Avoiding Injury?

Taking part in sports is something that helps you to stay fit and can also be a powerful stress-reliever, as well as a way of improving your mood. Yet, the risk of getting injured may put some people off, so what are the safest sports you can try?

Swimming Is Gentle on Your Joints

For a safe yet invigorating sport, swimming is hard to beat. In fact, this is the activity that many athletes turn to when recovering from an injury because it’s so easy on the joints. The risk of getting injured while swimming is extremely low, although there are some issues to be aware of.

Naturally, swimming in a secure pool with clean water and the right conditions makes it easier to stay safe and avoid injury. Those swimmers who run into problems most commonly suffer from injuries like shoulder inflammation or neck pain, while their knees can also suffer if they swim too hard or for longer than their body is capable of handling.

Golf Is Low-Impact but Has Some Dangers

There is little risk of impact injuries in golf, although it’s been reported that close to 40,000 people need medical attention due to getting hit by flying golf balls or clubs each year. In the case of negligence being to blame for an accident of this type, the person who gets hit can contact a personal injury claims specialist like McGinley Solicitors. These firms represent the victims of accidents of all types, including sporting injuries where someone is to blame in one way or another.

Despite the apparently relaxing nature of golf and the lack of obvious dangers, there are some other injuries associated with this sport. Most of them listed here by Medical Wave are caused by the repetitive nature of the swinging motion putting excess strain on parts of the body like the hips, knees, and back. Learning the correct technique at the beginning is the best way to stay safe.  

The Sports with Most Injuries

There is a degree of debate over the question of which sports is the most dangerous, with football and soccer among those commonly listed as involving a high risk of injury. Yet, statistics from a couple of years ago put basketball at the top of the list of the sports with the most injuries.

The injuries that are typically suffered when playing basketball include facial injuries, sprained ankles, twisted knees and fractures. A total of over 1.6 million basketball injuries are believed to occur every year, according to the Stop Sports Injuries site, and many of them can be treated using the RICE method of rest, ice, compression, and elevation. 

It seems clear that there are some extreme sports such as BASE jumping, big-wave surfing, and bull riding that are potentially more dangerous than basketball, Yet, the fact that relatively few people carry them out keeps the overall number of injuries low. However, a widely-played sport like basketball, football, or soccer will inevitably rack up a huge number of incidents over a year. On the other hand, even the busiest basketball goal boards don’t indicate an unsafe game

You should look to stay safe when playing any sport, which usually means getting the right equipment, following the rules or guidelines, and getting proper tuition or supervision where necessary.

Featured Image Credit: Heung Soon on Pixabay