Top Five Safest Sports to Play
- Kyle Coppola
June 28, 2019 Updated: February 14, 2020
Sports are a great way to keep a person physically active while encouraging friendly competition between competitors. Raising a trophy is a gratifying experience. Getting to that goal while also staying safe is important. A study by the National Safety Council (NSC) showed the list of sports related injuries and we have compiled a list of the top five safest sports for adults to play as of 2019.
Below are the five safest sports we have found to be involved in:
5. Baseball
Baseball is one of those sports that seem to always make the highlights when someone gets injured but in reality, baseball is a safe sport. The reason for those injury highlights is because it’s somewhat of a rarity in baseball.
The past few years new protective gear has been created which has been changing the game dramatically and for the better. In fact, even watching baseball is becoming safer as many parks are extending safety catch netting at their ballparks. Baseball injuries can vary but the most typical types ones involve the throwing shoulder.
Why is baseball so safe?
It has to do with the style of play. This is not a physical contact sport meaning body on body. What contact there is happens when the ball is in play. Collisions at the plate, runners stealing bases are among the possible ways players from opposing teams can come into contact with each other.
For most of the outfielders they stand in place 90% of the game until a ball comes their way so unlike many of the other sports that include physical contact between players most of the time baseball does not have that. In turn that makes it one of the safest sports to play. That goes without saying that baseball does have injuries associated with it. We did some research and found out the most common types of injuries that happen on the baseball diamond.Rotator Cuff Tears are very common in baseball. A study by Dr. Michael Gleiber specified that pitchers are the most likely players to undergo such an injury. The constant throwing motion of the arm can have a significant impact and eventually cause harm to a player’s arm. Gleiber states that “Rotator cuff tears can cause pain in the affected shoulder, particularly when lying on it. There may also be pain with certain arm movements such as lifting and lowering, and the shoulder may also be weak. Sometimes, there may be a cracking sensation moving the arm” 
Other injuries include a UCL injury which is called the ulnar collateral ligament, knee injuries muscle sprains among other ailments but overall player safety is on the rise. Baseball is not your typical contact sport like Football, Soccer, or Rugby. Some of the main things to worry about is the way a ball gets pitched to the batter. On occasion the ball slips from the pitcher’s hand and can fly toward a batter’s face. Fielding can also be dangerous when a player is sliding into second base. The short stop or second baseman sometimes must leap over the runner which can result in an injury. Concussions can happen from falls while fielders go to catch the ball as well. Like any sport there are ways to injure yourself playing baseball, but the statistics show the sport had some of the lowest rates of injury.
Baseball is known as America’s Pastime and for good reason. The sport has been around a long time and the continued advancements in baseball safety equipment have pushed the sport to become even safer. One enormous improvement is the batters helmet extension that covers the face. Frontal protection from the impact of a baseball has demonstrated to be highly successful and this batting helmet is becoming one of the more popular choices of safety. Overall baseball slots in at number 5 on our countdown.
4. Track and Field
Track and field has a wide range of events making it one of the most diversified sports on the planet. From runners, to throwers, relay, and decathlon this sport requires a variety of team members in order to win the overall competition. The stresses of track and field on the body range but this sport comes in at our number 4 on the countdown. Injuries primarily include strained muscles, cramps, pulled hamstrings and back injuries.
Overall comparatively to other sports these are relatively minor. Throwers must lift heavy objects such as the shotput, disc or hammer and throw them as far as possible.
Meanwhile runners run various lengths including 100 meters, 200 meters and so on up to thousands of meters depending on the events.
Track and Field is safe for many reasons. The sport is primarily based on an individual and those types of sports will likely always be safer than sports that involve an offense and defense strategy. In track and field there is no traditional offense and there is neither an opposing defense. In a way when runners bluff at leaving the pack they run in this is the strategy that comes into play. For throwers its more of a raw strength wins. Technique is always important but endurance is also quite important with the runners. Considered one of the safest sports to partake in, we did find some ways you can get injured while taking part in these activities.No matter if the athlete is throwing or taking part in the running and jumping portion, they each have their own potential for injuries to occur. Preventing track and field injuries can be done by properly stretching, drinking plenty of water and following proper advice.
The most common types of injuries include Running Injuries such as ankle arthritis, sprains in the knees, shin splints and knee injuries. In terms of safety though the sport is much more heavily reliant on the individual.
What that means is in other competitive sports where you worry about defenders and someone else who could induce injury to yourself in track and field most injuries that happen involve the sole person taking part in that activity. With that in mind track and field is one of the safer sports you can play and makes our list at number four.
3. Golf
Golf is a relaxing sport to play until you get a stray ball that could potentially ruin your day. Seriously one of the largest threats to golfers worldwide is the constant threat of a stray ball. In fact, a stray ball recently struck a woman’s eye which exploded at the Ryder Cup last year.
Even though she wasn’t playing its still something you have to keep a watchful eye for. In regard to injuries suffered on the golf course many golfers don’t understand that swinging harder at the ball is sometimes not the best option.
Golf is considered one of the safest sports to play because of the limited contact you have with other players. Of course golf is not a contact sport but its mentally challenging and can be extremely frustrating just look at Happy Gilmore. The sport prides itself on its appropriate behavior, beautiful country clubs and its unique rules. Who decided to put a hole 500 yards away and make a tiny hole?
That would be Scotland and we are incredibly thankful for that! Anytime players are not required to physically touch one another will more than likely make for a safer sport but we did find some ways you can injure yourself playing the game.Considered one of the safest sports, golf injuries occur from the repetitive action that you do by swinging the golf club. That powerful twisting motion can sometimes put some strain on the back, hips and knees. A well-conditioned player shouldn’t have a problem with this issue however players who have had issues with joints and muscles around those areas could be at risk to aggravate that section of the body.
As in every sport they say practice makes perfect and teaching the correct techniques are important to avoid injury. For the most part golf is a safe sport and if the rules are followed injuries should be at a minimum.
You can even golf on a knee walker and we find that to be a really cool!
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What is a Roll About?
A rollabout is a wheeled knee walker that allows you to rest your injured leg on a knee rest pad while allowing you to roll around with steering capabilities.
2. Cheerleading
The highly competitive sport of cheerleading comes in at number 4 on our countdown. Incorporating teammates that get tossed into the air, makes this sport seem dangerous but is it?
Cheerleading is actually a great way to stay physically fit. There is constant movement involved and based on the way a routine flow’s, a constant amount of movement and a mistake free run through the program will result in the best score possible. The injury rate is much lower than football or basketball.
We think its a great sport for people to get into. The health benefits include mental happiness because of the team environment. Weight loss can also be attributed as can building stamina and muscle strength. There are some risks involved as there are with any sport and they can include the following.
Falls can happen that’s why practicing on mats is so important. Spring floors have been known to reduce injuries. You can see how spring floors work in gymnastics during rhythmic events. Stretching and having a good coach who understands the limits of the team is likewise important. Overall cheerleading is a fun sport that is one of the safer options to partake in.
1. Swimming
Swimming is the safest sport to take part in. Its easy on the joints and can be an aid in recovery after an injury so making it the safest sport in America. A study by researchers at The University of Colorado Denver lead by PhD. R. Dawn Comstock has shown swimming to be the safest sport.
Competitive swimming has various lengths that that an athlete must swim. Competition can range from 500 meters and longer to relay and medley styled events.
There are also different techniques swimmers use including butterfly, breaststroke, freestyle and backstroke so there are a variety of different muscles being used. Many of the injuries that can occur during competitive events include the pressure of repetitive motions. The butterfly stroke is known to be one of the most difficult to master due to its strain on the back and shoulders.Training is important for any sport but knowing the proper swimming techniques is inherently important. By learning fundamentals early, competitive swimmers avoid injury. Having control in the water is highly important as is mental strength of pushing themselves to the limit.
The body is able do things in water that it can’t out of it and that’s something that makes swimming so unique. Most of the injuries that do occur from swimming range from dehydration issues to pulled muscles from kicking or stroking too hard.
Swimming has so many health benefits especially when you factor in the weightlessness. Injuries of the knee, ankle, leg and hip have shown benefits of swimming in order to aid in the recovery process. Physical therapy uses swimming to increase muscle mass after surgery and helps increase strength and stamina. With all this in mind its easy to see why swimming is the safest sports in America.Looking for a Knee Walker? I want to... I want to... orChoose this if you'll need it for
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