Football, Basketball, Baseball, Tennis, or Cricket – no matter which sport you play, it is bound to give you an adrenaline rush, and fill you with excitement. Any sports enthusiast would agree with us on that, right?! However, sports have to be as much about safety and performance, as it is about the rush and excitement. Therefore, a sports person must always be looking for ways to play safely, prevent injuries, while continuously maintaining a consistent performance. One good way to achieve that is by using certain strategic sports accessories.
In this article, we are going to talk about as many as 7 different incredible sports accessories which are very important for any sportsperson to have. These sports accessories will keep you safe and hence fearless during the play. In fact, these athletic accessories have a lot to contribute towards helping you achieve your personal best on the field. Excited, huh? Let’s get started!
7. Athletic Tape
An athletic or Kinesiology tape is one of the most basic sports accessories that you must-have, regardless of the nature of the sport that you play. Ask any professional sportsperson, and they will tell you how important this single sports accessory is, and how it helped them in so many critical situations.
It is a simple and light-weight roll of tape, but its uses are multifaceted. One, you can apply it to the injury-prone areas of your body (depending upon the sport you are about to play), as a preventive measure to avoid injury. And believe us, the kinesiology tape can work wonders in saving you from injury. So many athletes tell how they got hit so bad during a match that they would have almost broken a bone but then were saved only because they had applied the tape.
Secondly, the athletic tape provides the required support and strength to your body parts to withstand blows and bruises during the play. Believe us, you need that strength to kick the ball hard or to save a goal, and the athletic tape does help you accumulate that strength. The third way that the kinesiology tape helps you is that if you already have an injury, strain, or pain in a body part, the tape lets you cope with it and get relieff much faster. Too many benefits for simple little tape, aren’t they?! The tape won’t cost you much and will save you in many situations. Therefore it is a must-have accessory in your athletic bag.
6. Grip Powder
Grip Powder is another rather low-key yet miraculous sports accessory that must find a place in your sports bag. Sports is about a lot of sweat, grease, and dust, isn’t it? But mind it, sweaty and slippery hands on a fine day can actually ruin your entire performance. This is especially true of sports like badminton, tennis, and baseball, where a good grip over your equipment can make all the difference.
Therefore, it’s recommended to always have a pack of grip powder by your side when you are to play a match. The powder will instantly nullify the effect of sweat and grease on your hands and provides you a good grip to hold anything. You have to use it to see the difference!
However, it is important that you invest in a good quality grip powder that actually works and does what it is expected to do. Moreover, make sure that you are not allergic to any of the ingredients of the particular brand of grip powder.
5. Athletic Supporters
Many athletes across the world use athletic supporters regularly, as an essential part of their gear to go onto the field. While athletic supporters are not absolutely necessary to have, they are highly recommended. Let us tell you why. Sports like cricket, football, and baseball involve high-intensity hitting with the ball.
The sheer nature of these sports is such that there’s always the danger of the ball or other sporting equipment hitting the groin of the male players, which can be highly painful and injurious. The athletic supporters work well in preventing such an event. These are specially designed wearables that are efficient in protecting the sensitive private parts of the male players from the external blows like those from the fast-paced ball.
So if you indulge yourself in this kind of sport, then we would recommend that you must be cautious and make use of athletic supporters. However, since the supporter comes in direct contact with your body and has to be worn for long hours, it is important to ensure comfort. Therefore, you should invest only in high-quality athletic supports made of good fabric that is soft, absorbent, and comfortable to wear even for long hours.
4. Cooling Towels
Cooling Towels are a must-have – there we said it! There’s no doubt about that! These are an incredible accessory and come very handy almost on a daily basis for athletes,. In fact, if you are indulged in a high-intensity sport in a hot climate or during the summer season, we doubt you can do without a set of cooling towels.
Hot climatic conditions, the sweat, and the rush of the game can drain your energy pretty fast, and take a toll on your performance in the field. In such scenarios, cooling towels are of much relief. This is how they work. Cooling towels are made of special fabrics and materials that, when wet, keep the surface temperature much lower than the room temperature. This way, these towels are able to provide immediate relief to the player even in the middle of an ongoing match.
You can have a set of cooling towels in your sports kit and grab one in between the play breaks, or after every round of play. Put it on your head for a while or hang it on the back of your neck. Every time you grab a cooling towel, we bet you will go back to the field much more relaxed and refreshed. It works, try it for yourself!
3. Knee / Elbow Pads
Ask any athlete or trainer and you will be told how the knees and elbows are the most injury-prone areas of the body. At the same time, these joints of the body have the most important role to play in ensuring swift movement and action on the field. Mind it, an injury on these body parts is not only very painful but can also prove to be career-threatening.
Therefore, it becomes inevitable to take good care of your knees and elbows. Thankfully, athletes today have intrinsically designed support in the form of knee and elbow pads, braces, and more. These gears simply provide an effective cover and cushion for your joints from an external hit and also prevent the bones from twisting or developing strains.
We recommend that you must have these accessories in your training kit, and use them as you deem fit. These are lightweight pads that are easy to wear and carry but have been found to be very effective in preventing all kinds of injuries. There are various varieties of knee and elbow pads that can be found in a sports outlet, and you can choose a pair that fits well and meets your specific needs.
2. Helmet / Skull Caps
Helmets and skull caps form a very important must-have accessory for many kinds of sports. And guess what? Ranging from elaborate helmets with face grills to simple head geared and protective bands, depending upon the needs of sports, these come in different shapes, sizes and forms.
This accessory is very important to protect your head from injury during the sport, and we can’t stress enough the ramifications of a potential injury on the head. We have seen so many life-threatening complications and even fatalities due to head injuries in the past, especially on the field of cricket. In fact, it is only because of the helmet that so many injuries are prevented on the cricket pitch. The helmets not only provide protection to your head, but also your forehead, face, eyes, and cheekbones.
Therefore, if you are indulged in a sport that has even a tad bit of probability of a head injury, you must get yourself the protective gear against it. No doubt, it is one of the topmost sports accessories that you must have to play sports.
1. Compression Garments
Well, this had to be at number one on our list! If you’re a sports junkie, you must have heard about this specially designed breed of garments for sportspersons. It’s high time you buy one for yourself! Compression garments come in various forms, like shorts, leggings, vests, and pullovers. But are you aware of the utility and numerous benefits of these garments? Well, let us tell you about them.
Compression garments’ main purpose is to improve the blood flow to your body and hence ensure a constant supply of energy at the muscular level. In fact, you will be able to feel this rush of blood to your body part after wearing a compression garment there. Wearing these garments also keeps your body upright, alert, and ready for action.
Other benefits of compression garments include physical support to the body, prevention of muscle twist and sourness, and a preliminary cover for injuries. Furthermore, wearing compression garments makes you feel like you’re doing right by your body and puts you n the ‘athletic spirit’.
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The Bottom Line
Protective equipment isn’t just for dangerous sports, playing a game of baseball in your yard can result in injuries. iIf you are a sports enthusiast and want to make it big in your sport, then there’s no way you can do without sports accessories. In fact, it becomes even more important if you are looking to enter into the professional space and compete.
The accessories save you from injuries and also contribute to your performance on the field. We are sure that with the sports accessories that we have recommended, you will feel much more safe and confident, and your performance will improve drastically. Happy sporting!
