Getting injured is one of the top reasons people stop exercising and that includes badminton. Many tend to avoid playing badminton altogether to stay away from further injuries.

Here are 7 amazingly easy ways you can do to reduce the risk of injuries during badminton. Number 3 is MUST!

1. Do Simple Warm-Up Stretch Before A Game

Many people ask “Should I stretch before exercising?”.  There’s been studies done on the pros and cons of pre-exercise muscle stretching and one of them is the systematic review done by Dr. Anthony D. Kay and Dr. Anthony J. Blazevich. 

Badminton is a sport that requires flexibility, speed and power. Players should not concentrate entirely on a single type of stretching. According to them, simple dynamic warm-up like performing gentle repetitive movements help most in getting yourself ready to produce power, while static warm-up involves holding a stretching position for a specific moment to flex certain muscle groups.

Arm swings, knees and ankle rotations are some examples of simple dynamic warm-up stretches, and when the intensity is gradually increased, a player’s performance will not be compromised. Mix it up with slight static stretches to stretch muscles and reduce injuries when arm and leg extensions  are performed during games.

2. Train On Your Footwork 

Most professional players are known to have very good footwork. They are heavily trained to be agile and versatile to any movement and conditions on courts.  With the right agility training and tools, you can produce fast movements without falling into the risk of injuries.

If you do not have a coach like the professional players do, you can do some rope skipping to build quickness and agility in the comfort of your own home. Or you can try these footwork training done by the Yayasan Bintang Kidul‘s little badminton ninjas!

3. Use The Right Racket With The Right String Tension (MUST)

The most common type of injury is on your shoulder where the rotator cuff  is located. These are muscles  and tendons surrounding the shoulder joint. Any player is at risk because repeated stress is caused on the same area, especially on the arm used to hold racket.

It gets worse if you are using a racket that’s too heavy or if the string tension is too tight for your ability to repulse a shuttlecock. Find out more about the right tension for your racket in this article Badminton Racket String Tension Guide.

4. Pick Up Shuttlecock The Right Way

Simple action like this is always been taken for granted but it’s one of the most common mistakes players do! There are definitely ways to pick up a shuttlecock.  For more illustrations, read this article 3 Simple ways to ‘safely’ pick up a badminton shuttlecock

5. Always Hidrate Your Body Before, During and After Games

Staying hydrated before, during and after games will keep you healthy and energized. Drink at least 2 cups of water 2 hours before any badminton games to allow your kidneys enough time to process the fluid. Drink one more cup 30 minutes before your game to stay hydrated.

Drink just enough water during the games by maintaining a comfortably full stomach, without feeling of water sloshing inside. If this happens, stop drinking and rest for 10 minutes.

After your badminton game ends, continue drinking water to quench your thirst and drink moderately to stay hydrated until your body cools down to normal temperature. Drink more if your body needs more by checking the color of your urine. Your urine should be a pale yellow to gold color.

 

6. Breath right

Always exhale on exertion/during execution of shot. Practice will definitely perfect this technique because we breath subconsciously and are so used to the way we breath during normal circumstances.

Try avoid breathing through your mouth. This way, oxygen is consumed efficiently it can also reduce exhaustion caused.

7. Cool Down

Almost all badminton skip this process and head to their favorite activity which is the ‘after-badminton-meal’. It is equally important for players to cool down their bodies to bring their body temperatures down and back to normal. Some may feel dizziness after playing and cooling down helps to stabilize breathing and blood circulation. 

Cooling down also helps in removing lactic acid from our body after vigorous badminton game that could cause cramp or muscle spasm. Some cooling down methods are : 

• Take a slow walk for 5 to 10 minutes
• Do some simple stretching (hold for 20-30 counts)
• Take deep and slow breaths
• Perform 3-5 minutes low intensity exercise
• Do some foam rolling

With injuries at a distance, everyone can enjoy playing badminton fully. Comment below if you have other injury prevention methods to share..!

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