Don’t Ever Skip Out On Wearing A Helmet

I’m a firm believer in wearing helmets. In fact, I think that every athlete should wear the appropriate helmet designed for their sport. Why am I such a stickler for helmets? On at least one occasion, a helmet saved my life.

I was riding a horse. The horse was galloping along, I’d say at about forty miles an hour. It tossed me from its back, and I flew. When I landed, the back of my head hit a rock. Thankfully, I had a helmet on, and it was this helmet that bashed against the rock.

Thank heavens for that helmet. Even wearing it, I was knocked out. That’s a bad hit, if you still lose consciousness from the blow through a helmet. I am convinced that if I had not been wearing the helmet the blow would have killed me. As it was, the fall hurt me pretty badly, but at least I survived it.

Take the time to choose the right helmet for your sport(s) of choice. You would not want to use the wrong helmet, as it will not be sufficiently effective. The mechanics of likely injuries differs by sport. Imagine if I had been wearing a bicycle helmet in the example above.

I maybe could have gotten away with wearing a motorcycle helmet, but then again it is a bad idea to walk up to a horse wearing something new and strange. Horses are “neophobic,” meaning they are afraid of things that are new. If you walk up to a horse wearing a strange, huge helmet, the horse may panic and react badly.

After you choose the correct helmet, you need to adjust the fit. Most helmets are customizable with foam inserts. You use these inserts to make the helmet fit properly. If you aren’t experienced in making helmets fit, find someone experienced in your sport and ask t hem to help you choose and customize the right helmet for your protection needs.

Both adults and children should wear helmets for sports. Adults don’t necessarily have to wear helmets in many states while riding bicycles, but it is still a very good idea. Not only do the helmets help protect your skull and brain, wearing one is also a good example for your children. Kids who see parents in helmets accept that helmets are necessary for bike riding. If they wear one but you don’t, this gives it a “something that kids have to do” feel instead.

Another thing to remember about your helmet – it won’t do you any good at all if you don’t keep it on your head. Be sure to fasten it! This can be annoying but do it anyhow. You’ll be glad you did when you avoid a nasty head injury.

Read more of this author’s work about topics like disposable wine glass and polycarbonate wine glasses.