Get Stretching: Vital parenting information from Eyewitness News

Kids love to get up and get moving. Inspiring them to do it and work toward a healthy, athletic lifestyle is a good idea.

But before your child gets moving, they have to get ready for their activity. And that always involves stretching. Pediatrician Joe Matusic sees many cases of sports injuries.

Dr. Joe Matusic
The competitve people, the highly motivated kids are the ones I worry about the most. make sure they're stretching. In baseball make sure they're throwing the balls for 15 to 20 minutes. Make sure they're stretching longer than you think they should.

That stretching will get their muscles ready for action.

Dr. Joe Matusic
Fifteen, 20, 30 minutes, because that's where you get most of your injuries, from not stretching enough. Not warming up enough.

But those highly motivated young athletes dr. matusic sees, are most at risk for developing repetitive stress injuries. They are most likely going to be driven to play-through their injuries... and in the end, making it worse.

Dr. Joe Matusic
It makes it worse than if they would have taken a couple of days off. Then they wouldn't have had this big injury.

Doctors also see a lot of foot injuries associated with basketball and soccer... but all sports have their fare share of potential injuries. Dr. Matusic suggests just observing, and talking to your child to make sure they know when to ask for a time out.