Dehydration:
As a 14 year old in high school,
and other competitive sports, I have noticed that many people refuse to drink
during sports, whether it be water or Gatorade, because they, “aren’t thirsty,”
and this can end up in the wrong place. I myself have found it difficult to
force myself to drink during sports, but I know it is essential to staying
healthy. If your body is giving off liquid through sweat, you have to put it
back into your body someway, by drinking. If you do not give your body the
fluids it needs, then you can become dehydrated.
Dehydration
can be defined as, an abnormal loss of water from the body, especially form
illness or physical exertion. Dehydration can cause things such as; increased
thirst, dry mouth, weakness, dizziness, confusion, fainting, and decreased
urine output. In extreme cases, dehydration can result in; difficulty
breathing, chest or abdominal pain, seizures, no urine with-in 12 hours, and a
fever higher than 103 degrees.
Drinking
during sports is very important, even if you don’t feel thirsty, you should
know that you have to drink anyways. If you do not drink,it can end very badly, so make sure you keep yourself healthy.
Muscle Strains:
In any
sport, or even just when you are working out at the gym, it is very common for
people to pull muscles. Pulled muscles are, when your muscle is overstretched
or torn. Some symptoms of pulled muscles are; swelling, bruising, redness, pain
at rest, pain when muscle is used, weakness of muscle, and/or inability to use
muscle at all. Some major causes of pulled muscles are; not stretching properly
before physical activity, overexertion and fatigue, lifting something heavy,
lifting something in an awkward position, or poor posture.
In
order to heal your muscle, you have to do a series of things. You have to;
rest/avoid using muscle for a few days, apply ice immediately after injury,
wrap injured area with elastic bandage in order to reduce swelling, and elevate.
A few weeks after your injury, stretch your muscle every day, not only before
and after exercise, all the time. Some medicines you can take are; Advil,
aspirin, ibuprofen, or acetaminophen.
There are
also many ways you can prevent muscle strains. Some examples are; not overexerting yourself
during physical activity, getting proper training for sports and exercises,
learn how to properly lift heavy objects, and strengthen your muscles. Some
ways you can get proper training are by, joining a sports team or getting a
personal trainer. If you are at a high risk of getting a muscle strain, try to
get that fixed!
