Sometimes as football fans we can tend to get a little overexcited . . . or, more often, over frustrated. When our favorite team gets gypped by the ref’s call, we tend to jump up off our couches or stadium seats and poke our fingers up to the sky and scream like it was a higher power who did us wrong. It can get intense. And we can hurt ourselves from the excitement of it all, mentally and physically. So instead of injuring your back or neck from being an overactive fan, take these tips to prepare for the next football game and avoid injury.
- Stretch before the game.
Stretching will loosen up your tense muscles so that when you jump up suddenly from excitement or anger you won’t tear any muscles or put a kink in your neck. Maybe stretching will even help you connect with the players of the team because as you stretch, you’ll know the team will be stretching too, getting ready for the game. You can even use the Chirp Wheel+ in your stretch routine to help loosen up your muscles.
- Avoid heavy lifting.
When you’re bringing all that beer into the house to prepare for the party, make sure you are lifting it properly. If you get an injury before the game, it can only get worse from sudden, unexpected movement. When you’re lifting anything heavy before the game, make sure to bend your knees and keep an arch in your back (with your shoulders back). This position should help you avoid injury from lifting and should keep your back safe for the game.
- Keep good posture.
I know it is natural to lean forward and look up to the TV when watching a game, because you’re anxious to see who will score next. But sitting with poor posture will put extra strain on your back and neck and might inhibit you from enjoying a good game of football. So even when you’re awaiting a touchdown, focus on having good posture. This will keep your back and neck healthy for the remainder of the game and after. You could also try focusing on your posture by using Chirp’s Upper Back Posture Corrector. It’s a constant reminder to have better posture.
- Put out some healthy snacks.
Football food is almost as good as the football itself. Wings and other snacks are our go-to on football day. But don’t forget to put out some fruits and vegetables as well because that’s what will keep your back healthy. Putting on a few extra pounds makes our center of balance shift and causes us back pain. So eating a balanced diet will help us maintain a healthy weight and keep our backs in tip top shape for football season.
- Drink up the water.
Drinking alcohol dehydrates us. So make sure you’re getting some water too. Water keeps the discs in our backs strong and healthy so that our backs can absorb shock. This is especially important when we are jumping up to bump chests or turning to look at our friend’s reaction to a play. Healthy discs will limit the amount of injury our backs take and keep us from any extra pain.
- Move about.
This one shouldn’t be too hard for most of us because of the excitement of the game. Getting up every so often or sitting down from standing will help keep your back from getting tense. Or if the game is dull, use that as an excuse to get up and get more food. Movement is good to keep the blood flowing to your back, keeping the muscles loose and ready for action.
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