Winter is officially here, and sports don’t stop when the temperatures go down. But it’s important to enjoy these sports safely and avoid injury — even with indoor activities like basketball.

More than 110,000 people were treated at hospitals, doctors' offices, and emergency rooms for injuries related to winter sports in 2021, according to the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission.

Dr. Ryan Smart, an orthopedic surgeon with Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists, says developing youths are now playing sports all year. With this in mind, his first tip to parents is to prevent overuse.

“So, you have to make sure — especially, I think, when the kids get into those teenage years and if they’re not getting cross training via their sport — they need to spend time in the gym or even working with a trainer,” Smart said. “And I think that’s a huge way to prevent injury, particularly in female athletes with the high rate of ACL tears.”

Smart adds that being alert in your surroundings, especially when skiing, will help avoid injuries from collisions. Syracuse Orthopedic Specialists staff also recommend wearing appropriate protective gear outside.

For both athletes and non-athletes, though, Smart’s advice is the same.

“It’s a combination of flexibility and strength. And, as we get older, we lose both. But we don’t have to,” he said. “But you have to fight for it harder. Most people kind of, into their 40s and beyond, it is [about] staying fit, but there is the flexibility component. Yoga, whatnot, stretching, but then there’s the strength component, and the only way to get strong and stay strong is by lifting heavy things, and I think sometimes we’ve gotten away from that.”