If you're a parent to a high school athlete, you know that your actions play an important role in their success. One of the most important things you can do to ensure their success is help them avoid injuries. After all, they can't win the championships and earn a scholarship from the sidelines! Here are three ways to help ensure your high school athlete stays injury-free.

Take him or her to the chiropractor.

When it comes to injury prevention, chiropractors are the masters. By keeping the spine in proper alignment, they ensure that when an athlete runs and jumps, the shock is distributed evenly and properly across the joints – rather than being concentrated more on some joints than the others. This helps keep certain joints from taking too much stress and becoming injured.

Chiropractors also help athletes maintain flexibility. Adjusting the spine alleviates pressure on the nerves that control your muscles so that those muscles are better able to stay loose and functional. Loose, flexible muscles are less prone to strains and soreness.

Encourage a healthy, balanced diet.

Especially in sports like running and gymnastics, it is easy for teens to fall prey to under-eating and dietary restriction. An underfed athlete is more prone to injuries. You can help keep your teenager healthy be setting a good example at home. Don't adopt the latest fad diets, let your teen hear you speaking about needing to fit into size 2 pants, or make comments about your teen's body image. Instead, let your teenage athlete see you eating healthy, balanced meals with plenty of lean meats, whole grains, and produce. Encourage him or her to eat these same healthy foods.

 If your teen seems to be struggling with dietary restriction, take him or her to a nutritionist sooner rather than later. He or she needs to understand that a healthy, balanced diet is key to athletic success and injury prevention.

Don't put too much pressure on your teen.

You need to carefully walk the line between encouraging your teen and being nonchalant about their sports performance. Make sure that when your teen does not have a good game, you're supportive and encouraging – don't demean them or punish them. If you put too much pressure on your teen, they may react by pushing themselves too hard and injuring themselves. Talk to your teen and make sure they know that while you want them to succeed in athletics, you love them no matter what and won't be disappointed in them if they're not the very best.

If you avoid putting too much pressure on your teen, take them to the chiropractor, and encourage a healthy diet, you can help them avoid injury and ensure athletic success. For more information, contact a company like Health Atlast Fountain Valley. 

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