Sports can help you stay fit and lead a healthier and more active life. Unfortunately, sports can also put you in grave danger if you are unfit. That is why schools and other organizations require you to complete McKinney sports physicals before engaging in any sporting activity. Also referred to as preparticipation physical evaluation (PPE), sports physicals evaluate your medical history and physical health to determine whether participating in a given activity is safe. Besides safety, here are other contributions that make sports physicals critical whether you plan to engage in competitive sports or looking to start an exercise regimen.
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General health assessment
Family and current health status impact your safety. Comprehensive health evaluation determines how likely you are to develop life-threatening concerns like a heart attack if you engage in sporting activities to a certain intensity. For instance, conditions like heart arrhythmias and murmurs may not be obvious and are often hard to detect. Sports physicals consider such aspects to establish if you are likely to suffer severe heart-related concerns in your sporting endeavors. Health conditions such as asthma are also checked since they can limit your physical performance. With the finding, you can implement measures like medication adjustment for better performance or limiting the physical activity intensity to facilitate safe progress.
Establish injury predisposition
Pre-existing illness, medical history, undiagnosed conditions, past injuries, and treatments like surgery could predispose you to sports injuries. Sports physical accounts for such aspects to determine the potential risk of certain sports. The provider pays more attention to areas of your body at high risk. For instance, if you want to engage in tennis or baseball, they will take a closer look at your shoulders and arms, and for runners, legs, ankles, and feet. Establishing injury risks helps you adopt safer measures like the use of orthotics. This allows you to mitigate injury risks and enhance performance.
Balance, speed, and endurance assessment
Your performance significantly relies on your speed, endurance, and balance, which you can improve. For instance, you could struggle to keep going due to posture and balance issues, which you will learn during sports physicals. The information helps you to make relevant adjustments that can significantly improve your sports performance while mitigating injury risks.
Ongoing evaluation
After the sports physicals provide the green light, the process is not over. This is more so if you participate in contact sports like boxing, soccer, or football. The physicals help monitor your progress, informing you about your injury risks. With the information, you can adopt a better regimen to stay safer and healthier, making participating and enjoying the sport easier for years.
Sports are a great way to keep fit since you will work out while enjoying the activity. Before you dive in, though, it is essential to have a comprehensive sports physical, ensuring you understand how safe it is and measures you can take to minimize risks and enhance performance. The evaluations provide valuable information to help you adopt a healthier lifestyle for optimal performance and longevity. Contact Redwood Family Health Center today for more on sports physicals or to book your appointment.
