Nowadays, many teens are spending less time at the shopping mall and more on the playing field. One way teens can prevent injury is having a preparticipation physical exam before beginning any sport. It is the time where the athlete's skill level, maturity and motivation in participating in the sport can be assessed.
Most schools require preparticipation physical exams for athletes.
But for many teens, it is the only time they see a medical doctor. It's also a good time for athletes to learn how participating in sports leads to a healthier lifestyle that may prevent serious medical conditions as they get older. Teens also need to pay attention to their diets to help them lead healthy, injury-free lifestyles. Teens need to eat a variety of foods especially those rich with carbohydrates like breads, cereals and grains, fruits, vegetables or dairy products. At times, many teen athletes turn to fad diets for quick weight loss needed to compete in certain sports.