Outdoor Sports for Kids

You can tell I'm excited about spring finally arriving.  Following up on my gardening post from last week, I want to talk about kids starting outdoor sports.  The focus for injury prevention in youngsters is a little different than in adults.  The Alberta College and Association of Chiropractors has posted an information sheet on their website for preparing children for outdoor sports.  Navigating to it may be a trick so here is the Dr. J. synopsis of what to do.

Warm up before running:. A good warm up routine prevents injury to muscles and joints.  The child should do a slow jog followed by a stretching routine that focuses on the muscle groups most used in the sport the child is participating in.

Keep hydrated: It's important that children consume plenty of fluids before, during and after their sporting activity.  Despite all the product promotions, water is still the best thing for kids to drink.


Eat proper foods: Calcium and magnesium are necessary for healthy bones and to reduce injury risk to both joints and muscles.  The child needs to eat a good breakfast and a healthy meal at least 1 hr before the activity.  After the event they should have a healthy snack to replenish nutrients that were burned up.


Suitable clothing: Clothing designed to allow mobility along with proper equipment that fits the child correctly are essential for both injury prevention and performance.


Plenty of rest. Children need 8 - 10 hours of sleep every night. This is particularly important before a sporting event.  Lack of sleep decreases performance and increases chance of injury.

Before starting any sport, a child should have a chiropractic check up to ensure they have no vertebral subluxations which could be aggravated by the new activity.  If children are subluxation free they will also perform better.  At the first sign of injury be sure to have the child check by a chiropractor to ensure proper healing.