Did you know that almost 25 million people have to see the doctor every year after suffering an unintentional injury? The good news is that there are plenty of things that you can do to reduce this risk.
You can make a number of lifestyle changes to help reduce the likelihood that you will be injured. We talked about tips to prevent injuries at work, but there are things that you need to do in your daily life as well. If you suffer an injury, it’s important to seek legal help. Hiring an injury lawyer can help you recover compensation for your medical bills, lost wages, pain and suffering, and more.
Tips to Reduce Your Risk of Having an Injury
We talked to some personal injury lawyers about what you can do to avoid the risk of being injured. Here are some important tips that you will want to follow if you want to stay safe and healthy.
Focus on Getting Regular Exercise
It is a good idea to get plenty of exercise if you want to reduce your chance of getting injured. Physical activity can help improve your strength, increase your flexibility, and maintain better balance. All of these benefits will help reduce the likelihood that you will have an accident and will lower the risk of a serious injury if you do have one.
The Journal of Special Operations Medicine published an article on this topic in 2015. The authors cited a number of military studies showing that people that get regular exercise have a lower rate of injuries than soldiers that exercise less frequently. Of course, since all soldiers have to exercise to some degree, the differences would probably be even more significant if they were compared to people that don’t exercise regularly.
Follow a Healthy Diet
You need to follow a healthy diet if you want to live a healthy lifestyle. A proper diet can minimize your chances of getting injured for a variety of reasons. One of the most important benefits is that it will improve your bone health, which reduces the risk of bone fractures. A balanced diet will also help you have strong bones and muscles, which also minimizes the risk of fractures and injuries.
Get Plenty of Sleep
Not getting enough sleep will impair your cognitive function and coordination, which will significantly increase the risk of having an accident. The average person needs between seven and nine hours of quality sleep every night to stay physically and mentally healthy. Getting enough sleep will also make it easier to recover after an accident.
Try to Maintain a Healthy Weight
Both being overweight and being underweight can significantly increase your chances of having an injury. Overweight people tend to have worse coordination. They are also more likely to suffer a serious injury if they fall, since their weight will put more pressure on their bones, muscles and joints. On the other hand, underweight people have less fat and muscle to provide cushioning to their joints and bones if they have an accident.
You will want to try to maintain a healthy weight to keep yourself from suffering a serious injury. This is going to entail following a healthy diet and getting enough exercise.
Minimize or Eliminate Your Use of Substances
Using alcohol and drugs can seriously impair judgment and coordination, which drastically increase the risk of experiencing an accident and raises the risk of a serious injury if an accident occurs. It is a good idea to avoid using any illegal drugs of any kind. You will want to monitor your alcohol consumption as much as possible. You should familiarize yourself with the BAC charts and avoid having a BAC that is higher than that shown for legally driving.
Don’t assume that it is okay to drink excessively just because you are at home or using a designated driver. You can still get injured in other ways.
Follow Healthy Lifestyle Practices to Reduce the Risk of an Accident or Injury
There are a lot of things that you need to do if you want to minimize the chances of having a serious accident or injury. The tips listed above will make a big difference.