Badminton is a "longevity sport", but it requires more of your body than you think! These 4 types of people are not recommended to play

In the playgrounds of the community and the open spaces of the park, we can always see many people playing badminton. As a popular sport, badminton can be said to be the first choice for many people's leisure sports.

As a racket sport, badminton is also known as one of the "longest-lived sports". It has many benefits for the body, such as helping to improve the body's reaction, sensitivity, coordination and balance, effectively relieving stress, improving mental state, etc. A study in The Lancet pointed out that racket sports such as badminton and tennis can reduce the risk of all-cause mortality by 47%.

But in fact, what most people don’t know is that badminton may not look difficult, but if you play it well, the actual amount of exercise required is much greater than you think, and it is not suitable for everyone.

Badminton moves on the body

High demands on collaboration and flexibility

Although badminton does not involve obvious physical confrontation, the movements themselves require high physical fitness and coordinated movement of the upper and lower limbs. Badminton movements include sudden stops, changes of direction, and jumps, which can easily cause greater pressure on joints, resulting in the risk of acute or chronic injuries.

The common sports injuries in badminton are:

1. Shoulder joint injury

In the overhead hitting action, shoulder internal rotation is very important for the hitting speed. Repeating this action too much can easily cause damage to the shoulder joint, and the most common injury is rotator cuff tear.

2. Wrist injury

When hitting the ball, the wrist needs to change direction quickly and exert force to hit the ball, which can easily cause wrist sprain. The most common injury is triangular fibrocartilage complex injury (TFCC).

3. Knee injury

Rapid and repetitive lunges and jumping can create impact loads on the lower extremities, leading to overuse injuries, most commonly patellar tendinitis, anterior cruciate ligament and meniscus injuries.

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4. Ankle injury

It is easy to get injured during the take-off and landing process. Most people use the single-leg technique, which may cause ankle sprains when supporting on one leg. Repeated push-off movements can also easily cause Achilles tendon fatigue, which can lead to Achilles tendon pain or even Achilles tendon rupture.

5. Spinal Injury

The wrong batting posture will lead to excessive or uneven force on the waist, which will put more pressure on the lumbar facet joints. At the same time, the weak core muscles of the human body cannot protect the lumbar spine well during sudden stops and turns, which can easily cause injuries such as lumbar muscle strain.

Badminton requires high cardiopulmonary capacity

These 4 types of people are not recommended to fight

In addition to high requirements on the skeletal muscle system, badminton also has high requirements on cardiopulmonary capacity, which is reflected in its high-intensity intervals and long-term endurance. The sport requires high-intensity running, jumping and hitting in a short period of time. This intermittent high-intensity exercise has high requirements on cardiopulmonary function.

The cardiopulmonary system needs to respond quickly to provide enough oxygen and energy. In addition, the whole game of badminton lasts for a long time, which requires good cardiopulmonary endurance to maintain the performance. The following people may not be suitable for badminton:

1. Suffering from severe cardiovascular disease

Badminton is a high-intensity sport that requires strong cardiopulmonary support. If you suffer from serious cardiovascular diseases such as heart disease and hypertension, your condition may be aggravated and your risk of cardiovascular events may increase.

2. Severe joint damage or disease

Badminton requires frequent movement, jumping and twisting of the body, which puts a lot of pressure on the joints. If the joints are severely injured, arthritis or other diseases exist, it may cause increased pain or further damage.

3. Pregnant women and women 1 year after giving birth

During this period, many changes will occur in women's bodies, and their joints and ligaments will become loose. Playing badminton may increase the risk of falling and injury, which is not good for pregnant women, fetuses and postpartum women.

4. Weak body or chronic disease

If you are physically weak, have low immunity, or suffer from chronic diseases such as diabetes or respiratory diseases, you may not be able to withstand the intensity and physical exertion of badminton, which can easily lead to fatigue and worsening of your condition. If such people want to exercise, they must do a good risk assessment under the guidance of a physician.

Preventing Sports Injuries

Pay attention to these details when playing badminton

Before playing badminton, adequate warm-up can effectively reduce sports injuries. The following actions are recommended but not limited to:

1. Jogging

Jog around the field for 5 to 10 minutes, gradually increasing your pace to raise your heart rate and body temperature.

2. Joint movement

Rotate your head, shoulders, wrists, waist, and ankles. Repeat each movement 10 to 15 times to activate the joints throughout your body.

3. High Leg Raise

Place your hands on both sides of your body and quickly raise your knees alternately, trying to raise your knees above your waist each time, and continue for 30 seconds.

4. Back kick

With your hands at your sides, kick your legs back quickly, trying to touch your heels to your buttocks. Continue for 30 seconds.

5. Side Slide

Spread your feet apart and slide them to one side, then to the other side, moving 10 to 15 steps on each side.

6. Practice swinging the racket

Perform simple racket swings to simulate the action of hitting a badminton ball, paying attention to the standardization and coordination of the movements, and continue for 1 to 2 minutes.

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Badminton is a good sport that can exercise the body and improve coordination. It is a sport that is beneficial to the body and is worth recommending to everyone. However, badminton also has risks and is not suitable for everyone. When participating in badminton, we should fully understand our physical condition, follow scientific exercise methods, warm up well, and control the intensity and time of exercise, so as to stay away from injuries and truly enjoy the fun of badminton.

Author: Zhao Qian, an expert in rehabilitation medicine and rehabilitation therapist

Review | Feng Qiang, Deputy Director of the National Physical Fitness and Scientific Fitness Research Center, Institute of Sports Science, General Administration of Sports of China