FACTOR FITNESS - So you can enjoy sports safely

As a person with haemophilia, taking part in sports in and out of school is extremely important. Sport helps to strengthen your joints and muscles, and improves your coordination and stability, which can help to reduce your risk of developing a bleed. Because bleeds can damage your joints and muscles, it is important that you do everything you can to reduce the number of bleeds you have.

These days there are lots of different school sports to choose from. All sports involve an element of risk, and some are safer than others for people with bleeding disorders; however, for most school sports the benefits you get from taking part outweigh the risks. The only sports that aren't recommended are contact sports that carry a high risk of head injury such as boxing, rugby and some martial arts. However, there may be some non-contact alternatives, such as tag rugby, which may be suitable for you.

Always talk to your haemophilia nurse or physiotherapist before starting a new sport. They will be able to give you the advice you need to be able to enjoy sport safely.

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When you play sport at school there are a few things you can do to minimise your risk of developing a bleed:

1. Tell your doctor which days you do sport at school. He/she may change your infusion days so that you receive your infusion on the days you do sport. Your factor replacement therapy is most effective for the first eight hours after your infusion because this is when the factor level in your blood is at its highest. Having an infusion on the days you do sport will help to reduce your risk of developing a bleed.
2. Discuss the ways to play a sport safely with your haemophilia nurse or physiotherapist before you take it up.
3. Always make sure you wear the right clothes and protective gear for the sport you play. For example, wear shin pads and a good pair of football boots for football, running shoes with sorbothane insoles for jogging, and basketball boots with good ankle support for basketball.
4. If you have a bleed and your doctor advises you not to take part in sport for a while, make sure you stick to his/her advice because taking up sport again too soon after a bleed could put you at greater risk of developing another bleed.
5. If you repeatedly develop injuries when taking part in a particular sport, talk to your physiotherapist to find out whether you can alter your technique or wear different or additional protective gear to reduce your risk of injury.

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Your haemophilia nurse may recommend that you try to avoid playing sports at a competitive level, for example, for a school team. This is because at a competitive level there may be more physical contact between players, which could result in injury. You may also have to train for many hours every week, which could put stress on your muscles and joints.

Some young people do compete at a competitive level without any problems. If you are thinking about joining a school team, speak to your haemophilia nurse beforehand so that she can run through the risks and benefits of joining the team. You may want to give it a go to see how you fare.

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Your teacher will be aware that you have haemophilia. However, he/she may not know everything about the condition and may have questions they want to ask you. Try to support them by answering any questions they have, especially with regard to whether you can take part in sport. Your teacher may feel anxious about letting you participate in sport so it is important that you explain which sports you can and can't take part in.

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It is up to you to decide which school sports are best for you. This will depend on how severe your haemophilia is and which sports you like the most. Choosing a sport you enjoy will help to keep you motivated.

Many people with mild forms of haemophilia participate in all kinds of sports, including active sports like football and high-risk sports like karate. If you have severe haemophilia, you will need to be a bit more careful about which sports you choose, although there are still plenty of sports you can enjoy safely. Click on the links below to see the benefits and risks associated with different school sports.

Recommended sports

School sports for people with haemophilia

There are risks associated with every sport. The level of risk is dependent on the severity of your haemophilia. The risk rating below is for guidance only. Seek advice from your haemophilia centre prior to taking part in sport.

Sports that are not recommended

Boxing
Hockey
Ice hockey
Lacrosse
Martial Arts (contact)
Rugby

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