What are safety precautions while performing exercise?

Moderation is the key to safe exercise. Safe exercise programs start slowly and gradually build up in frequency, intensity, and duration. In addition, contact your doctor before beginning any vigorous physical activity if: You have an existing health problem, such as high blood pressure or diabetes. You have a history of heart disease. You are a smoker. Dress Appropriately, wear comfortable, loose-fitting clothes that let you move freely and are lightweight enough to release body heat. When exercising outdoors in high temperatures, wear light-colored clothing. Replace Your Athletic Shoes as They Wear Out, how often you need to swap out old athletic shoes for new ones will vary depending on the shoe material, the types of workouts you do, the workout surfaces, and other factors. Warm Up to prepare to exercise, even before stretching, run in place for a few minutes, breathe slowly and deeply, or gently rehearse the motions of the exercise to follow. Stay Hydrated, drink enough water to prevent dehydration and heat injury, drink 1 pint of water 15 minutes before you start exercising and another pint after you cool down. Cool Down, make cooling down the final phase of your exercise routine, it should take twice as long as your warm-up, slow your motions and lessen the intensity of your movements for at least 10 minutes before you stop completely. Rest, schedule regular days off from exercise and rest when tired, fatigue, significant muscle soreness, and pain are good reasons to not exercise.

To minimise the risk of activity-induced injuries, you should be aware of the signs of over-exertion, such as breathlessness and muscle soreness, and take reasonable precautions. Wear comfortable clothing and well-padded shoes that can protect the heels and arches of the feet. Put on appropriate gear for the activity, such as helmets and protective pads for cycling. Always warm up before doing exercise and cool down afterwards to lower the risk of strains and sprains. Take appropriate breaks during the activity. Do not exercise with an empty stomach, eat something light to give you some stamina. Do not exercise immediately after a full meal because this will affect digestion. Replenish extra fluids before, during and after physical activity, especially for prolonged exercise like hiking. Beware of the weather and environmental conditions, avoid doing outdoor vigorous exercises in hot or humid weather. Listen to the body, do not exercise when unwell, if there is dizziness, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea or vomiting, or muscle and joint pain during exercise, stop the activity and seek medical advice as soon as possible.

Consult with your gym instructor, coach, sporting association, exercise physiologist or physiotherapist for instruction on how to exercise safely. Potentially harmful exercises include bouncing while stretching, standing toe-touches, full squats, straight-legged sit-ups and double leg raises. Wear appropriate protective gear and make sure your sporting equipment (including shoes) is well maintained. Stop exercise immediately if you are injured and seek medical advice before starting exercise again. Aerobics injuries are usually caused by trauma and overuse, but can be prevented by using the right techniques and equipment.

Take five to 10 minutes to warm up and cool down properly. Plan to start slowly and boost your activity level gradually unless you are already exercising frequently and vigorously. Be aware that training too hard or too often can cause overuse injuries like stress fractures, stiff or sore joints and muscles, and inflamed tendons and ligaments. A mix of different kinds of activities and sufficient rest is safer. Listen to your body. Hold off on exercise when you're sick or feeling very fatigued. Cut back if you cannot finish an exercise session, feel faint after exercise or fatigued during the day, or suffer persistent aches and pains in joints after exercising. If you stop exercising for a while, drop back to a lower level of exercise initially. For strength training, good form is essential. Initially use no weight, or very light weights, when learning the exercises. Never sacrifice good form by hurrying to finish reps or sets, or struggling to lift heavier weights. Choose clothes and shoes designed for your type of exercise. Replace shoes every six months as cushioning wears out. For most people, simply drinking plenty of water is sufficient. But if you're working out especially hard or doing a marathon or triathlon, choose drinks that replace fluids plus essential electrolytes. Exercising vigorously in hot, humid conditions can lead to serious overheating and dehydration. Slow your pace when the temperature rises above 70°F. On days when the thermometer is expected to reach 80°F, exercise during cooler morning or evening hours or at an air-conditioned gym. Watch for signs of overheating, such as headache, dizziness, nausea, faintness, cramps, or palpitations. Dress properly for cold-weather workouts to avoid hypothermia. Depending on the temperature, wear layers you can peel off as you warm up. Don't forget gloves.

Start slow if you have not been physically active for a while. This will help you stick with it and avoid injury. Use safety equipment. For example, wear a helmet for bike riding or supportive shoes for walking or jogging. Warm up to your workout. Spend five to 10 minutes doing a “light” version of your workout. Drink plenty of fluids when you are physically active, even if you are not thirsty. Always bend forward from the hips, not the waist. Stop being active if you feel very out of breath, dizzy, or nauseated or have pain. If your chest feels tight or painful or you feel faint or have trouble breathing, stop the activity right away. Always call 911, or have someone call for you, if you lose consciousness, cannot breathe, have uncontrollable bleeding, or have a serious injury like a broken bone.

Ensure your home exercise space is clear, this means you need to forward plan what sort of exercises you will be doing, and ensure you have a space big enough that is clear of any slip, trip and fall hazards such as toys, pets, rugs, children, furniture etc. Ensure your home exercise environment is right for you, this means the temperature should be not too cold, but also you ideally don’t want the heating to be on whilst you are exercising as you may feel too warm. The recommended temperature for exercising indoors is 20-22.2 degrees Centigrade or 68-72 degrees Fahrenheit. Also check that the lighting is not too dark or too bright, and there isn’t any kind of glare in your eyes from the television, or from the sun outside. Wear loose comfortable clothing, don’t wear anything too restrictive as that is likely to make the exercises uncomfortable to do and might mean that you can’t complete the exercise to the full range of movement required. You can lose around one and a half litres of fluid for every hour of exercise, so drink water before, during and after a session. Have at least one recovery day each week to rest, mild soreness over one to two days is normal but acute bone or joint pain that does not subside with time means you are doing something wrong. Also make sure you have had any medication that you might normally take. Warm up before, and cool down afterwards, a warm up takes place before the main exercise session starts and should be for a minimum of five minutes and should include light intensity cardio exercise such as marching on the spot to gradually increase your heart rate as well as some mobility exercises to get you ready for your workout ahead. Be careful what you watch online, whilst there is a lot of great video content available online, unfortunately there is also some content which shows incorrect technique and instructions which may lead to you having a poor workout, and worse, injuring yourself. Make sure your equipment is safe to use, if you are using any equipment such as resistance bands, dumbbells or an exercise ball make sure you have ordered it from an approved fitness equipment provider, and it appears to be in good working condition. Always read any instructions before you begin. Check your technique and follow the teaching points, if you aren’t sure about whether you are using the right technique try and do the exercise in front of a mirror, or ask someone to watch you whilst you do it.

When planning an exercise program, it’s important to consider factors such as age and health history as well as personal strength and stamina. Before starting an exercise routine, especially a potentially strenuous one, be sure to consult a health care professional for approval and safety guidelines. Some exercise safety precautions include wearing the appropriate gear and staying hydrated. Taking time to warm up and cool down allows the body to transition in and out of periods of activity safely. To promote safety during physical activity, health experts usually suggest moderation and regularity.