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HOW DO YOU AVOID INJURY?

Pfft -- Hacky Sack injuries?
While new players and spectators may readily scoff at the concept of a "Hacky Sack injury," the reality is that freestyle footbag is an extremely physically demanding sport that employs largely under-developed and otherwise infrequently-used muscle groups similar to those of marathon runners.

Common injuries
Like with runners, common injuries include shin splints (from high-impact tricks), various knee conditions such as patella femoral syndrome (from high-impact tricks and those that require quick jerking or far-rotating movements from the knee such as whirls, swirls, and shut and atomic sets), pulled hip flexors (from tricks such as drifters, as well as atomic and nuclear sets), twisted ankles (from poor landings caused by an uneven playing surface, sole of the shoe, or improper form), as well as overuse injuries such as neck strain from performing excessive ducking tricks.

Stretching/recovery routine
It is important to maintain good and consistent habits in caring for your body before and after play. Stretching either before, after, or ideally both is key. Stretching before a session should be preceded by a 10-minute light warm-up (relative to skill level and not necessarily footbag-related). Stretching after a session sould take place within 30 minutes after completing a warm-down (such as practicing easier tricks). In order for your muscles and body to recuperate from an intense workout, it is ideal to consume a recovery drink that provides rehydration with the proper ratio of carbohydrates and protein. While many athletes swear by protein shakes and sport drinks such as Gatorade, 6-time gold medalist olympian Michael Phelps has helped to spread awareness of the numerous health benefits of simple chocolate milk.[14]

Know your body's limits
Listen to your body and if something feels not quite right, don't push it. Consult with the footbag community, or better your general practitioner or athletic therapist. Push yourself to train hard, but not at the cost of destroying your body. Always begin with the basics, and progress naturally, from one concept to the next. Never attempt to push difficult tricks beyond your ken for which you have not mastered the foundations. This applies to both long-term training as well as within a single training session. Always begin and end a session with less aggresive tricks and runs.