Extreme sports are gaining in popularity at an incredible rate, and along with this comes a corresponding increase in injuries. In fact, there is certainly a case to be made for claiming that there are disproportionately more injuries among extreme sports participants than in traditional sports. This could be due in part because the opportunity for injury is present at very early stages in extreme sports, with amateurs attempting tricks and maneuvers that are way above their skill level. In addition, this “amateur bravado” often is accompanied by the complete lack of any protective gear.

Protective gear is essential to preventing injuries in every sport, and extreme sports are no exception. Each sport requires its own unique safety equipment, but some basics used in most extreme sports include helmets, elbow pads, wrist guards, knee pads. With the addition of these simple precautionary measures most serious injuries can be avoided.

However, no amount of safety gear is enough to prevent every injury, especially when extreme sports such as bungee jumping and FMX are concerned. In bungee jumping, the best safety measures that can be taken would be having an expert plan out the jump beforehand and fasten the cord securely to the jumper. A helmet is of course strongly recommended, but if the worst happens and a jumper comes loose from the bungee cord, a helmet will offer little protection. However, in the event of a jumper being sprung back upwards into the underside of a bridge or other structure, a helmet may indeed greatly limit the severity of any injuries occurring from a collision.

FMX, or freestyle motocross, is another extreme sport in which protection is key, but can only do so much. When FMX rides do tricks over 30+ foot gaps, even slight errors upon landing can hurl people to the ground at great speed. Not only should the previously mentioned pads and helmet be worn, but also a full protective suit similar to the kind worn by regular highway motorcyclists. This way the common injuries of road rash and contusions can be minimized. Tricks such as flips and others which have the rider separate from the motorcycle in any way bring an entirely more dangerous element into the sport. No matter what protective gear is being worn, if a motorcycle comes down on top of its rider, there will be serious, perhaps fatal damage done. Likewise, if a rider ditches the motorcycle mid-trick and falls from heights of 20-30+ feet, it becomes a matter of luck whether or not serious injury occurs.

The fact that extreme sports are by their nature dangerous is not to suggest that participants are guaranteed some type of regular injury. The odds of getting injured are as good or as bad as the precautions that are taken. Extreme sports should not be treated casually, and tricks should evolve slowly along with skill level. Heed this simple advice and extreme sports will leave you healthy, excited, and coming back for more.