Tripping and Falling
Gymnasts walking on balance beams or landing after a dismount, tend to throw their arms outwards for balance. This happens when the Center of Mass (COM) spreads, which gives more stability and balance. While tripping, an individual instinctively throws one’s arms outwards. It is due to the body’s unconscious attempt of changing the COM, which slows down the speed at which one is falling.
The leg muscles are responsible for a person’s tripping and falling. To prevent a fall after tripping, muscles in the support limbs and joints tighten. Weaker muscles cannot contract to avoid falling over after tripping. Therefore, muscle strength training is needed as it helps in reducing the risk of tripping and falling.
The right footwear also helps one from tripping and falling. Sports like football, baseball, softball, soccer, skateboarding, biking etc require cleats and special type of shoes.
The shape of a particular woman’s feet may not meet the manufacturer’s concept of the average woman. This may therefore require a switch to a man’s shoe for the individual with a wide forefoot. If this results in the heel being too wide, a thicker sock or one with more heel padding might prevent minor heel instability. Shoes can also aggravate pre-existing foot problems and create additional problems for those with such tendencies. Hence, the best solution is to invest in a good pair of sports shoes. This will reduce foot problems and also the risk of tripping and falling.
Another potential sports hazard is the unevenness of the sports ground. The ground surface should be level, flat and even. This should be considered at two levels: whole of ground and parts of ground. Uneven areas created by sport dimension markings can be hazardous. They are evident in the form of bare ground, tufted grass, holes, undulations and so on. Therefore, it must be ensured that the overall sports ground surface is even and there are no undulations, holes, tussocks or other raised surfaces that result in tripping or falling of players.
Sports grounds can be soft, firm or hard. Shock absorbency is influenced by soil moisture, soil type and grass cover. Extremely hard surface may lead to soft tissue injuries and joint injuries caused by falling and other compressive forces.