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While the St. Louis Rams aren't the toughest opponents the NFL can offer Brandon Lloyd Jersey , the Seattle Seahawks played well on both offense and defense en route to a 28-0 opening game victory. Jim Mora made a successful debut as Seahawks coach and Matt Hasselbeck played his first regular season game since last Thanksgiving.

The Seahawks easily covered the spread as -7 home favorites. The ATS victory improved the Seahawks to 18-15 against the number in the past three years. The Rams dropped to a dismal 11-22 ATS in the past three years with a 9-20 mark as an underdog.

Mora hadnt been at the helm of an NFL team since he was fired by the Atlanta Falcons in 2006. He is a native of the Jet City and once worked as a visiting locker room attendant for the Seahawks. He talked about his successful homecoming in his post game interview:

"It was especially emotional for me, because there is some significance to it. I'd be lying if I told you there wasn't. It was kind of a surreal experience."

It was also the Seahawks first shutout in over two seasons, while the once high flying Rams were shut out for the first time since 1998. Linebacker Aaron Curry commented after the game that defensive tenacity and toughness are goals for the new look Seattle team:

"The whole offseason, they said our team was soft. We've got to change our image."
锘? Playing sports is a lot of fun. It's one of the most exhilarating activities that you can do. Not only is it fun, though; it's also healthy.

Playing sports can also be a form of body and mind exercise. It can strengthen your muscles and your bones. It also improves your thinking abilities since sports activities hone your mind in matters of strategy and technique.

In fact, playing sports is such a great activity that it can even improve your personality in the aspects of fairness and good sportsmanship. However, that's not to say that there are no downsides to playing sports.

Playing sports can be quite dangerous especially if you're inexperienced. If any accidents occur when you're playing sports Reggie Bush Jersey , the effects can range from mild to serious. You can either get a minor bruise, a moderately severe sprain, or an injury that you will have to live with for the rest of your life. You might even sustain an injury that could cost you your life. So, it's quite important to know how to avoid these sports injuries in the first place.

The Proper Gear

The first thing to do when you play sports is to prepare all the equipment that you will need. Your equipment includes not only the balls, the nets and such necessary implements but also your protective equipment.

For example, in football (which is arguably one of the roughest sports) there are a lot of protective gears that you need to put on. The first and probably the most important one is the helmet which is protection for your head or your cranium.

Helmets differ depending on the sport you're going to play. Football helmets are much bulkier than other helmets. For one thing, football helmets are complete with a face guard and they almost completely cover the head.

There are other protective equipment like ankle guards Eli Harold Jersey , shoulder pads, shin guards, mouth guards, and knee caps. All of these are designed to protect the important parts of the body from any injury.

If you participate in football, chances are high that you'll be falling a lot. All these pads cushion your body whenever you fall or forcibly collide with another player. They therefore help in preventing bone fractures or sprains. Such equipment may be bulky and heavy and they might prevent you from moving freely but, then again, isn't it always better to be safe than sorry?

Get a Physical

You need to consult with your doctor before you become active in any sports activity. Get a physical exam. This is a precautionary activity that is usually required of professional athletes. It wouldn't hurt to follow their example even if you only plan on playing football with your weekend buddies.

Warm Ups

Before doing anything strenuous Jaquiski Tartt Jersey , you have to warm up your body. Some people forgo doing warm-ups because they think that it's too troublesome; they're too impatient and want to get into the game the game immediately.

But this shouldn't be so. Warm-ups are incredibly important because they condition the body for the work-out that it's going to receive. Also, contrary to what other people think, warm-ups don't necessarily mean stretching. In fact, stretching should be saved until after you've warmed your body up a little since if you stretch yourself too much, you might end up tearing a few ligaments.

The first thing that you should do when you're warming up is to take a light jog. Then, when you're done, start stretching your muscles starting from the head down. You can start by rotating your neck Arik Armstead Jersey , then your shoulders, then your arms, then your waist, your hips, your legs, and then your foot. Sixteen counts on each body part should do.

All in all, warm-ups should last for 15 to 30 minutes. Stretching helps by improving the blood circulation in the said body parts and also by increasing the body's temperature. That way Torrey Smith Jersey , once you get into the field, your body will be more than ready to accommodate all the strenuous tasks that it will have to do.

Strength Training and Bodybuilding Exercises

If you want to be in top form when you play, your body must be in top form, too. Aside from giving you the required energy for sports, though, a well-honed body is also more resilient, more flexible and Justin Smith Jersey , therefore, less susceptible to sports injuries. Therefore, you should have strength training and regular bodybuilding exercises.

Practice

To avoid sports injuries, you'd do well to be good in.