Summer is a great season for volleyball, but you have to be careful out there to avoid injuries. Our Guest Geek post today goes over some important tips on keeping safe while serving, spiking and bumping on the court.

Volleyball can be a wonderful way of spending time with friends and getting your recommended physical activity into your day. However, if you aren’t careful there may be a number of ways that you could get hurt. This could be the case whether you play indoors, or out on the beach. Choosing the correct protective gear and equipment could make a great difference, allowing you to play at your best while not compromising your overall health and welfare.

Knee protection

Strain on your knees and falling down could damage your knees, leading to pain, stiffness, or even the need for a knee replacement in the worst scenarios. To prevent this from occurring, as well as to reduce the chances of scraping your knees, you may want to look into some volleyball knee pads. These could help to reduce some of the pressure, and even protect should you get knocked down. Wearing pads could help you to feel less nervous about giving the game your all, as you can then reassure yourself that you have adequate protection in place.

Wear volleyball shoes

You may be tempted to wear your tennis shoes, or even standard sneakers when playing volleyball. While this might be acceptable, it could affect your game if played indoors or on a court. Wearing specific volleyball shoes can help to give your feet a better grip on the floor, reducing the chances of slips. The rubber used on the soles strongly contributes to this. 

At the same time, they may also help to absorb some of the shock, putting less pressure on your joints when running and jumping. The prices of these can vary to suit a range of budgets, from low-cost basic versions right up to designer brands or popular names. They may also come in a number of colours or patterns, perfect for matching with your existing sportswear.

Sunscreen

Playing volleyball on an outside court, or even on the beach, can be incredibly fun. You might want to make the most of the nice weather and still enjoy yourself. However, while the sun can help to make the game pleasant, it could also lead to significant skin damage. In the present, you could suffer from sunburn, while in the longer term this could put you at a higher risk for skin cancer.

Wearing a high SPF sunscreen may help to reduce the amount of UV rays that can penetrate through the skin. Alongside this, you should also consider moving play to a shady area, avoiding the hottest or brightest parts of the day, and using other sun protection in the form of covering up, wearing a hat, and even sunglasses. It’s always good to remember to drink plenty of water when playing sports, especially in hot weather.

You may want to join a local volleyball team, or simply have a few games with your friends. Either way, it can be useful to think about the ways that you can keep accidents and injuries to a minimum.