You only have to look around you, as you walk through any city or town, to notice more and more people doing some form of physical exercise. Gyms and sports facilities are springing up all over the place, and I would say it is almost impossible to visit your local park and not see someone running or skating with headphones on! It’s great to see a more active population doing sports and not only being healthier, but also exercising together and forming groups and communities.
I hate to bring it up, but there is a downside of this positive cultural change. It is a sad but true fact that doing sports can also be a risky business, leading to injuries such as sprained muscles and broken bones. So, what if this happened to you? Would you be able to work, to function physically and financially? or have access to medical advice and treatment? Thankfully, the rise in sports participation has also led to a rise in interest regarding health insurance and policies that cover individuals for any sports related injuries.
Firstly, if you are a person who does sport regularly, it is always advisable to have a medical examination to check your general health and fitness and identify any weak spots you may have. It is also important to be aware of your physical condition, age and how long it is since you last did any sport. These factors will help to set your fitness programme and know more about the degree of exercise you can do, and any restrictions you may have. These factors will also inform what you need from your coverage when taking out individual health insurance for sports to ensure you stay protected when doing the thing you love most.
Whatever physical activity you do, the Caser Activa Health Insurance is aimed at those people who, as well as doing a sport, wish to have private medical insurance with the most comprehensive medical cover.
The list of befits is extensive and covers all kinds of areas and specialities, including up to €100 at the pharmacy: (reimbursement of 50% of money you spend), and up to €100 at the opticians: (reimbursement of 50% of the money you spend). This would obviously come in handy when buying pain relief medicaments or first aid items required for the simpler sporting injuries or ailments, or if you need to get a new pair of glasses because you smashed yours accidently during a sporting activity.
Caser Activa covers primary medicine with a doctor and registered nurse, including preventative checks, but also has provision for emergency home visits and 24-hour medical assistance. These inclusions in the individual health insurance are also valuable for sports lovers in the case of a sporting accident or injury meaning that you need prompt medical attention, either at home, or via the phone. This ensures you can clarify any doubts quickly and ask for advice, so you can start the recovery process on the right foot! (pardon the pun!).
Unlimited hospitalisation is also covered, with no limit on medical, surgical or ICU hospitalisation, as are hospital emergencies in the medical network of health centres, including ambulance services.
Alongside the benefit of the telehealth service, Caser Activa also includes a novel service called Selfie Health. This new app allows you to get rapid measurement of a range of health indicators, using mobile facial recognition technology. You can obtain readings for Heart rate, irregular heartbeat, systolic blood pressure, Diastolic blood pressure, heart rate variability, myocardial stress, respiratory rate, body mass index, waist and height index, stress index, facial skin age, risk of cardiovascular disease and general well-being score.
This service comes free of charge with your health insurance plan, and it is the perfect complement of telehealth, as it allows you to track your well-being daily in an easy way. And should any reading be outside of the normal range, you will be able to speak with a doctor and share your results to get a professional opinion.
There are special rates for different age groups. And you can ask for a free no obligation quote based on your personal circumstances by visiting the Caser website.
Of course, it goes without saying that anyone who is health conscious and partaking in sporting activities will want to avoid any form of injury that stops them from working out and getting the blood pumping. So, whilst having individual health insurance coverage will give you piece of mind should the worst happen, as they say, prevention is better than cure, so here are some tips for keeping your body ship-shape and avoiding unnecessary incidents
Many studies have shown that you must drink liquid when doing physical activity. Feeling thirsty is a symptom of a lack of water and you run the risk of becoming dehydrated. In hot conditions it is a good idea to drink one or two glasses of water a few minutes before undertaking the activity.
Your motivation to do exercise increases when the weather is gentler, particularly in spring and summer. People who are doing exercise in order to lose weight will be even more motivated, because of that dangerous reasoning that the more you perspire or sweat the more weight you lose. However, it has been shown that doing physical exercise when it is very hot and humid increases the risk of danger. Also, losing weight is not always the same as getting slimmer, it may just be that you are losing fluids that are quickly replaced when you have a drink. If your goal is to lose weight or get healthy, check out our blog post on healthy Spanish food choices and other ways to improve your health.
Some people who want to lose weight believe in this false myth, but it is not true. It has been shown that the more clothes you wear, the hotter you get, which leads to gaining fewer benefits from the exercise. Getting too hot is not good and may lead to serious problems. Choose the correct clothing that ensures you feel comfortable when exercising and soaks up any sweat.
This is important to stretch your arms and legs before and after each training session. Don't forget that in order to prevent injury, it is particularly important to prepare your body for exercise. You should start with a warm-up, to limber up your muscles and also make sure that when you do the main activity that you gradually increase the intensity as you feel more comfortable. Don’t go hell for leather right from the offset as this puts strain on your body, muscles and organs that could all lead to injury or a medical episode.
Whatever the sport, from walking to windsurfing, pilates to parkour, you need to always remember that your body is the only one that you will have, so you need to look after it and do any sports regularly but responsibly. Of course, sometimes physical strain and injury cannot be avoided, which is why it is important to act responsibly and cover yourself with individual health insurance for sports. This will give you piece of mind that, if injury puts you out of the game for a while, you will have access to rapid and respected medical care that will get you off the subs bench and back in the game as soon as possible. You can download our free guide about Health Insurance for Active People below:
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If you are searching for health insurance in Spain, Caser Expat Insurance has the right policy for you!
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