Health Tip: Prevent Skateboarding Injuries

April 14 -- (HealthDay News) -- When skateboarding, falling is the last thing you want to do. But practicing how to fall safely can help you reduce your risk of injury.

The U.S. National Safety Council offers these suggestions:

• Practice crouching down low on the skateboard if you start to feel unbalanced. That way, you won't hit the ground from so far up.
• Try landing on the softer, fleshier parts of your body, not bones or joints that are more prone to injury.
• Practice rolling when you fall, instead of absorbing the impact with your arms.
• Practice relaxing your body instead of tensing up as you fall.