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Keep Your Workout Safe and Healthy
Best workout your chest, best workout your arms, your personal best workout
When we go to the gym we go with the intention of being a happy, healthy
person. Yet there are some basic things that we should do to ensure our
safety at the gym to prevent injury and disease that often go overlooked.
Here’s some tips to make sure you maximize on your workout and your personal
safety.
-Make sure you’re fit enough for what you’re doing.
Often when beginning a workout we tend to overdo it. Meet with a personal
trainer and/or physician first before starting your workout to ensure
your body is well enough for what you’re trying to do. In some cases you
may have to build up to more strenuous things like weight training or
high impact aerobics.
- Work out when you’re in good shape.
Don’t work out when you’re exhausted or tired. Don’t work out when your
body is in poor shape due to illness or overwork. Doing so can exacerbate
illness and put you in a situation to be injured easily.
Before starting your workout, make sure you’re at your best by always
warming up. Get your heart rate up a bit and then do some stretches. Don’t
overdo it – often people tend to overstretch and cause injury. Warm up
and stretch gently to prepare for a strenuous workout. Great ideas for
workout include an easy jog, jumping jacks, or other light aerobic activity.
- Be careful with your weights.
Weights are a great tool but can also be very dangerous. Lift weights
smoothly and slowly to avoid deep muscle trauma. Keep total control through
controlled movements with appropriate weights. Increase weights gradually
and use supports and controls to support heavy lifts.
Using proper form when lifting simply cannot be emphasized enough. Weights
should only be used with controlled, smooth movements in the proper form
as advised by a trained fitness instructor. This will help prevent muscle
injury as well as ensure you maximize the effect of your workouts.
- Breathe.
A dangerous mistake is to forget to breathe during your workouts. Always
breathe evenly through your workouts. Oxygen is essential for your body
and should never be denied when you’re working it hard. Failing to breath
can cause abdominal pressure while weight lifting that can lead to hernias,
or exhaustion that can cause you to pass out during aerobic exercise.
- Drink water.
Like air, water is essential for out bodies. During workouts we try our
hardest to sweat, leading our bodies to release water stores and without
a renewed supply can lead to dehydration and trouble. Bring a water body
to the gym, drink and refill it plentifully with slow, small sips. Stop
exercising if you feel faint, dizzy or feel irregular heart motions.
- Use gym equipment as it is intentioned.
Never lean heavily on equipment or use it abnormally. Leaning on equipment
like the elliptical will put pressure on your wrists and back that can
easily lead to injury. Abnormal or unintentioned use as well can cause
injury or muscle pain. Follow a trainer’s advise on using equipment and
always read safety information and instructions on equipment before use.
Keep your hands away from moving parts in machines when you are using
them.
- Be a good community member.
As we want to prevent injury to ourselves, so too do we want to be a good
community member and prevent harm to others. Leave all gym equipment the
way you found it to avoid accidents. Always put safeties back in place
on weights to prevent slippage. Keep your hands away from moving parts
in machines when you are using them. Always wipe gym equipment down with
a towel before and after use and wash your hands before and after your
workout to reduce chances of spreading disease.
The gym can sometimes be a chore in our goals for a healthy lifestyle.
Enjoying it safely will not only increase everyone’s enjoyment of the
gym but also ensure we can continue our goals injury free. |
