Every parent must have said these words 1,723 times: “Go outside and play!” Then joined their kids in kicking soccer balls, playing catch and shooting hoops. It gets youngsters involved in sports and encourages lifelong fitness, and it’s fun. What if your kids get better (maybe way better) at a sport than you are? Get some exercise while pacing the sidelines or jumping and cheering.
Just make sure your youngsters aren’t among the 3.5 million kids a year who get sports injuries. Play it smart:
Protect their brains. Helmets are non-negotiable for all kinds of sports: biking, skating, skiing, ‘boarding, horseback riding, motocross, football and more. Wearing a helmet makes your child seven times less likely to suffer a skull fracture while snowboarding or skiing, and could prevent 85 percent of bike fatalities. Check out a new mouthguard, called the Jaw-Joint Protector, designed to provide extra protection against concussions (at www.BrainPads.com). After age 5, give kids 200 mg a day of DHA omega-3s. DHA is the key fat in brains, and it’s needed for repairs there, too.
Don’t forget their bodies. From goalies to ‘boarders, kids should be well-padded in vulnerable places for their activity. This could mean neck, shoulder, elbow, chest, knee and/or shin pads, face masks, jaw-joint guards, protective cups and eye gear.
No team sports until at least age 5. We’re with the American Academy of Pediatrics: Kids play safer when they really understand the concept of teamwork.
Avoid heat injuries. Make sure kids drink plenty of water before, during and after play. Tap water is fine!
The You Docs — Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen — are authors of “You: On A Diet.” “The Dr. Oz Show” airs at 3 and 8 p.m. weekdays on channels 7.1 and 7.2. To submit questions, go to www.RealAge.com.
