Soccer Mom Lesson No. 4: Fitness is for Off Days Too

Havaianas Football Cup 2014About two weeks ago, I had another soccer mom scare. After my daughter came home from football training, she said that her left wrist was hurting a bit. She also mentioned that she has been using her ankle guard every now and then to help relieve some ankle pain.  A few days after that, she came home from training and told me that she was hit by the ball on the chest pretty hard and at close range. Since that day, she had felt short of breath while running.

Of course I started to worry. What if her wrist injury was back?  What if she also has a chest injury? It was time to visit the doctor again.

About a week ago, I brought my daughter to her pediatrician to have her chest and ankle checked, and to the orthopedic surgeon who fixed her broken wrist (distal radius fracture) last January to find out if her wrist was still fine. After the chest and wrist x-rays and the consultations, we learned that she is injury-free (I was so relieved!). And I got a categorical answer from her orthopedic surgeon that she can still play football as goalkeeper (my daughter was so relieved!).

That day, thanks especially to the orthopedic surgeon, I got a wake-up call. I was reminded of how important it is for my children to be fit and strong to play sports. I was never conscious about this since I was never an athlete. Now, I have to help my kids (my son plays basketball) become stronger and more fit so they can stay injury-free and they can continue to enjoy their sports of choice. It’s not enough to exercise during training days; they need to condition their bodies during off days too.

For the immediate, we could try these ankle and wrist exercises (my son also sometimes experiences ankle pains after basketball or running). I wonder if my kids would be willing to do yoga at home with me. 🙂

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