Staying Healthy During Cheer Season

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Happy October! While competition season is just beginning to kickoff for many of us, we know it’s also the beginning of flu season, cold season, injury season — you name it. Make sure you take good care of your body this season by being proactive about your health. We’ve compiled the following tips and tricks specifically for all-star cheerleaders so we can see you at the next WSA competition ready to go!

Wash Your Hands

Cheerleading is a hands-on sport, meaning we spend a lot of time in contact with one another. From stunting and grabbing onto your flyer’s shoe — to tumbling (and consequentially touching the floor), your hands come into contact with many germs. Bring some hand sanitizer with you to practice if you can, or at least make it a point to wash your hands as much as possible. Even if you don’t get sick from practice, the last thing you want to do is get sick and give the germs to your whole stunt group.

Cover Your Mouth

If you need to sneeze or cough, it’s totally understandable — until you do so recklessly and contaminate your teammates. Protect the whole team this season by taking accountability when you’re feeling under the weather. At the very least, cover your mouth if you need to sneeze or cough. And, if your illness is bad enough, stay home or sit out from practice. The last thing you need is to take your fellow athletes down with you.

Wipe Down Mats

Ask your coach how often the tumbling mats are cleaned. If they aren’t sure, that means it’s time to insist on cleaning them. There’s nothing wrong with bringing some disinfecting wipes to clean the mat before you get started. Plus, we are willing to bet your coaches will appreciate the help. However, if they tell you that they are cleaned every week, or even every day, you can feel more at ease. This goes for every surface in the gym! Railings, desks, walls…make sure you pay attention to where you put your hands.

Warm-Up Properly

Illness aside, injuries are extremely common once the temperature begins to drop. Do your best to avoid injury by warming up properly and taking care of your body both before and after practice. Please wear warmups when heading into practice, and put them back on when leaving the gym — especially if you live somewhere cold. We know walking from the car to the gym in a tank top and shorts may not seem like a big deal, but it could take your body longer to warm up as a result. Dress warmly and stay safe!

WSA Wishes You a Healthy Season!

With proper hygiene and self-care, we are sure you will have a happy and healthy season. Skip the sniffles and hit the mat feeling your absolute best. We can’t wait to see you at the next WSA competition near you. Show us what you can do! Contact us today to register your athletes.