Fitness Safety Tips

One of the best ways to tone your body, lose weight, and improve your energy levels is to participate in regular physical exercise. Performing 20-30 minutes of exercise, three to five times a week can not only get you looking and feeling better, but it can also reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and other serious illnesses. However, before you rush into an exercise routine, it is important to become familiar with some exercise safety tips. Practicing exercise safety will ensure that you limit your chances of injury and get the most out of your health and fitness routine!

Consult a health professional.
If you’re starting out on a new Fitness routine, remember to consult a health professional to provide expert advice before you begin. This is a must to foresee possible health risks posed by the exercise, especially for those with medical conditions. It is best to seek professional guidance rather than risking your health and safety.

Start Slowly
If you are just beginning to get back into the routine of regular exercise, it is important to start slowly. Don't think that you are going to be able to climb a mountain or participate in a triathlon right away! You need to build up your stamina slowly and get your body accustomed to physical exertion. The majority of exercise-related injuries are a result of pushing too hard when you are just starting out.

Warm Up and Cool Down
The most important part of exercising is the ten minutes before and after your workout! Spend ten minutes warming up your muscles before any type of exercise. If you jump straight in, you risk damaging your muscles or straining your heart. Do some slow jogging to increase your heart rate slowly and warm up your muscles.

Stay Hydrated
Dehydration is one of the common problems suffered by individuals who frequently exercise. This may pose as a serious problem as water is a vital component of the human body, making up almost 78% of our body. Make sure you hydrate by drinking plenty of fluids so that which is lost from sweating is restored back to your body. Fluids help muscle endurance, as dehydrated muscles easily get sore and tired.

Work with a Fitness partner.
A Fitness partner or a buddy may be helpful especially if you are not exercising under the watchful eye of a Fitness Trainer. A Fitness friend can be your spotter, motivator, or warn you in case you are overtraining. Besides, working with someone is better than exercising alone. It makes all the exercise much more fun.

Wear the right kind of clothing and footwear.
Wearing the wrong shoe is usually the common cause of exercise injuries. Make sure that you’re wearing the right shoe size, and provide much needed support for your feet. Appropriate clothing is also a must. Wear comfortable clothes that are quick to dry and allow you to move freely during your regimen.

Know your limitations.
Don't do everything at once. Just because you've been pedaling an hour a day on a recumbent cycle doesn't mean you can suddenly bike up a mountain without suffering pain and stiffness the next day. Get used to outdoor activities gradually, and you'll have the whole summer to play outside.