Osteopathic Treatment for Athletes
What is an athlete? The term “athlete” is used to refer to a person who participates or competes in sports. Athletes generally develop physical strength, skills, endurance, and gain more experience as they engage in sports. To be an athlete, or sportsperson, one would have to do at least the minimum requirements of the particular sport.
This may involve engaging in physical training, mental training, and adhering to a strict diet. There are professional and amateur athletes. Professional athletes get paid for training and competing in events, while amateur athletes participate just for the fun of it. Engaging in one sport or another can improve your overall health and fitness.
How can you become an athlete?
Athletics isn’t the sole preserve of sports professionals or those you see on TV, you too can be an athlete. In fact, you should. Here’s how to go about it:
Choose a Sport You Love
Why should it be something you love? So that you are continuously motivated to improve and do better. Also, you’re less likely to find what you love doing boring.
So, there’s no point in opting for football if you find the concept of 22 players jostling around the pitch for one ball uninteresting!
Create a routine
One of the reasons why some professional sports players do so well is because they make their sport a priority. You may not have any intentions of going pro, but to improve your performance as a sportsperson you need to engage in practice regularly.
Start Learning and Practicing
If you’re going to be a sportsperson you must be ready to learn how the sport works. You may need to get a coach, tutor, or trainer as the case may be. You can also search for materials on the Internet.
Then, get to work. If your chosen sport is road running, start going on daily runs and implementing the lessons you learn to help you run better.
Set Goals for Yourself
There’s a lot one can achieve by setting goals. Setting goals motivates you to get better and to do better.
Eat Healthy food
While you workout to improve your athleticism, also take care to combine it with a great diet. The kind of food you eat can make or break your progress as an athlete.
Generally, being athletic helps improve your overall well-being and reduces your risk of certain health conditions.
What Are the Qualities of Great Athletes?
Great sports personalities the world over share very similar traits that make them stand out from their fellow sportsmen. Some of these are:
Self-belief and a positive mindset
According to Virat Kohli, “self-belief and hard work will always earn you success.” This is undoubtedly one of the traits of a great athlete. Sports stars believe in their ability to achieve greatness despite all odds – an injury, tougher opponents, harsh weather conditions, and so on. The right attitude towards anything at all can guarantee success and it starts with the person involved.
Ability to manage stress
It is difficult being an athlete. The game takes a toll on you, drains your energy, and still requires you to be at your best. Athletes are in a constant battle with stress and only the strong ones can effectively manage it.
Managing stress here entails turning it into a motivating factor to achieve results, and also ensuring it doesn’t last for long, as that could give rise to other conditions.
Knowing Where to Make Improvement and Putting in the Work
Becoming a great athlete demands all round improvements, especially in areas where one is lacking. Great sportsmen and sportswomen know how to identify these and practice harder to better their performance.
What Are the Benefits of Being an Athlete?
Whether or not you choose to go professional as a sportsman, participating in sports as an athlete has many health benefits:
- Reduced blood pressure: High blood pressure can cause a variety of issues but as a sports player, you’re less likely to experience any of that. Continuous engagement in physical therapy helps keep the heart and blood vessels healthy.
- Boosts the immune system: Athletes hardly get sick because they train hard. Team physicians mostly treat injuries and not sicknesses.
- Reduces risk of cancer: Athletes regularly exercise and this makes them less likely to develop certain types of cancer.
- Improved sleep: Suffering from insomnia? Become a sportsman and you may have solved your problem. Exercising helps you sleep better.
- Improves muscle strength: Athletes develop stronger and more enduring muscles as they train and engage in sporting activities.
How Can Osteopathy Help with Athlete’s Injuries?
Apart from medication and other types of treatment athletes may receive after an injury, there is a viable form of alternative medicine called osteopathy.
Osteopathy treatments focus on manual readjustments and physical manipulation of muscles and bones. Osteopaths can help athletes in relation to injuries by:
- Helping them prevent injuries altogether; athletes who see an osteopathic therapist are less likely to develop minor injuries.
- Preparing the athlete’s body for each sporting event. This includes increasing flexibility, building muscular power, and conditioning the range of motion of the joints.
- Providing relief from pain and speeding up recovery when athletes pick up injuries.
Osteopaths are very relevant in every sport, especially in contact sports where athletes have a higher tendency of developing complications with the muscles and bones.