Anna @BedlamPaintball gives you tips on how to prevent ankle and knee injuries when playing paintball.
I have played paintball several times now and have witnessed many paintball games – both actual and on TV. One of the most common injuries is ankle and knee injury. Well, you do have to work all those joints to dodge and hit your target, right? But like any other injury, there are several pointers to prevent an ankle and knee injury.
Many paintball sources recommend sneakers, tennis shoes, running shoes or other soft footwear to ensure you can move around as quietly as possible. However, if your ankles are weak, you’re playing in really rough terrain, or there are a lot of hills on the field, wear hiking boots!
I’ve seen a player wreck his knee from running uphill in sneakers. After seeing how much pain he was in, I now recommend choosing safety over stealth every time. After all, it’s just a game! And, hey, don’t the military wear combat boots?
Fogged-up goggles or glasses can be a safety hazard in paintball. Tripping and falling hard on your knees can cause serious injury. Get goggles that have thermal lenses or a built-in fan to keep them from fogging up.
If you wear glasses, use anti-fog spray on them. Your goggles may have an anti-fog coating, but your glasses don’t! You can also buy special inserts made using your glasses prescription that fits inside your goggles. Then you don’t have to wear your glasses at all.
