If you're an athlete or even someone who works out seriously, then you know that your activities come with some risk of injury. If you run, you may be worried about overuse injuries like shin splints or runner's knee. If you play football, it may be torn ligaments that concern you the most. Rather than waiting for injuries to happen and then treating them, some athletes decide to take a preventative approach by enrolling in sports therapy. In sports therapy, you work with a physical therapist on moves that help strengthen, balance, and stretch your body in ways that make you less prone to injury. So, how do you know the time has come for you to start sports therapy? Here are some situations that often have athletes making that first appointment.

You're about to scale up your training.

Maybe you've been training at a certain level for a while, and now you're about to increase the volume and intensity. You may be a runner who is going from 30 to 50 miles per week or a football player who is about to start daily practices after previously only practicing on Saturdays. This is a good time to meet with a sports therapist. They can get you started on a strength training plan that helps guard against injury as you begin putting your body through harder workouts. Ideally, you'd see a sports therapist before you increase your training.

You're starting to notice the effects of age.

Do you feel like you can't train like you used to? Maybe it now takes you three days to recover from a hard workout while it used to take two. The effects of aging are real, but meeting with a sports therapist can help minimize them. They'll show you ways to help maintain your strength and flexibility as you get older, which can increase your longevity as an athlete.

You've been noticing some soreness.

Sometimes, athletes will start to notice some new and less familiar soreness. You may have some pains that feel like they are injuries coming on or stiffness that has you wondering whether you should be taking things easier. These are all signs that you're lacking strength, flexibility, or both. An injury could be on the horizon, but working with a sports therapist at this stage can help prevent it.

If you find yourself in any of these scenarios, you are a good candidate for sports therapy.