Every day in our office we see young children with pain in the knee or ankle. This is frequently due to too many hours in a running or jumping activity. We often find problems with the child’s sports training. Two of the most common errors are a lack of stretching and failure to properly warm-up. This should be both the athlete’s and the coach’s responsibility.

Lets begin with stretching. At rest, our muscles and tendons shorten. We are stiff when we first get up in the morning and subconsciously stretch just to get moving. The child’s bone grows faster than the muscles and tendons, which compounds the problem. Stretching helps reset our muscles to the proper length, allowing our joints to have a full range of motion, enhancing athletic performance. Stretching also allows the bones and muscles to share in the shock absorption that occurs during activities.

Stretching should be a part of every sport. Coaches should monitor and enforce a stretching program for all participants. Teaching young athletes how to stretch and allowing time to do so will result in fewer injuries and overuse problems. Point out to the children how professional athletes stretch before competition.

What about warming up? The warm up begins with slow and gentle motions and gradually increases in speed and intensity. This increases the circulation to the muscle, tendons, and joints, preparing the body for the physical demand of the sport. Warming up prevents muscle strains, ligament injuries, tendonitis, and joint injuries.

Let’s teach our children to be healthy and have fun by preventing injuries through proper warm-up and stretching.