7 Tips For A Safe Workout

Have you decided to go to the gym regularly in order to increase your physical activity and get that dream body? Good for you! However, you have to make sure that you’re completely ready for such an endeavor.

First of all, you have to realize that going to the gym requires certain precautions if you don’t want to hurt yourself. So, in order to help you avoid such unpleasant events, we’ve prepared a list of advice on how to work out safely. Let’s take a look.

Warm up!

This may sound like obvious advice, but you would be surprised to hear how many people fail to incorporate this step into their exercise routine. This is a huge mistake. Not only do you need a warm-up to loosen your joints, but it is crucial for getting your metabolism ready as well. Additionally, thanks to warm-up exercises, you’ll increase the blood flow to the muscles and get your body temperature increased as well.

All this serves to prevent hamstring strains, muscle cramps and other serious injuries. And, even though this may sound as a true drudgery, it’s actually quite easy and all you’ll need is 5 to 10 minutes of moderate cardio exercises and a bit of stretching.

Be prepared for cold-weather exercise

Cold days shouldn’t be an excuse for you to stop exercising, but you should make sure to get ready for such weather conditions. First of all, you have to check the weather forecast in order to know which temperature you can expect outside.

And, if you see that the temperature is minus 15 degrees Celsius or lower, you’ll have to protect yourself against frostbite. In case you failed to do so and you start feeling numbness in any part of your body, get out of the cold immediately and try to warm yourself as fast as possible.

Even though this may lead you to believe that the best solution is just to dress warmly, you have to be careful not to wear clothes which are too thick since if your body gets too warm, you’ll sweat and consequently feel chilled due to sweat evaporation.

So, the better solution would certainly be dressing in layers. This way, you’ll be able to remove some of your clothes gradually as you start warming up your body to prevent sweating heavily.

Warm-weather exercise requires a certain preparation as well

Once the summer heat hits its peak, exercising can become quite dangerous without proper preparation. First of all, it’s highly advisable that you go for fabrics which won’t trap heat and sweat. So, even cotton and other natural materials seem like a good choice, even they don’t allow sweat to evaporate from your skin quickly.

However, we have a solution for you – tencel. This fabric is made of bamboo wood pulp and it doesn’t trap heat at all.  Additionally, make sure to avoid the hottest part of the day since when the Sun is high the risk of heat stroke is significantly increased. Finally, once you’ve done with your exercises, don’t forget to cool down in the shade and drink a lot of water.

Take care of your eye health during exercises

Another very important workout issue related to people who wear prescription glasses and lenses. If you don’t mind wearing contact lenses while working out, that’s great, however, keep in mind that excess sweat can build up on the lenses so make sure to always have replacement ones handy along with re-wetting fluid and cleaning solution.

On the other hand, those who wear glasses but don’t feel comfortable with them during a workout can take them off unless they have a very strong prescription.

However, if you fall under the latter category, don’t worry, since there is a perfect option for you too. You can opt for Ortho-K lenses which you can wear during the night and then take them off in the morning in order to have a perfect vision during the day. If you like this option, make sure to visit an optometrist in Sydney to get your Ortho-K lenses and have a stress-free workout.

Drink a lot of water

Even though we mentioned the importance of drinking water while exercising in the hot and humid weather, this doesn’t mean you shouldn’t do that during other seasons as well since dehydration is a serious issue which shouldn’t be taken lightly under any circumstances.

Also, this advice is really important to follow because water regulates your body temperature and helps you endure longer exercises. Additionally, while you’re exercising, your body, aside from water, loses sodium and potassium and such deficiency can lead to muscle cramps and dizziness. Thus, it’s highly recommendable that you start with a regular intake of electrolyte-based sports drinks as well.

Take a break from time to time

Exercising regularly is important, but this doesn’t mean that you should push your body beyond its limits since this would most certainly lead to some serious consequences. Instead, try to listen to your body and consider whether it’s ready for some serious workout or whether a day off would be a more reasonable solution.

For example, many people refuse to skip their training even when they’re sick or are feeling worn out. And, even though we admire their persistence and determination to achieve their exercise goals, they’re making a huge mistake. Such behavior will just prolong the time necessary for recovery and put them at risk of fainting and thus hurting themselves.

Mix different kinds of activities

Another important rule of a safe exercise routine is to mix different kinds of activities. So, if you want to avoid getting injuries like sore joints, stress fractures and inflamed ligaments, make sure not to put too much pressure on certain body parts. For example, swimming may be your favorite type of exercise, but if your whole training consists of only this, you’re putting your shoulders under too much pressure.

The same goes for running since it can seriously affect your knees, ankles and feet. So, instead of sticking to one activity, make sure to incorporate several of them into your daily routine and thus avoid focusing the workout on just one part of your body.

As you can see, working out can be quite dangerous unless you stick to certain rules. And, while we understand that waiting too long for visible results can be quite demotivating, you have to realise that pushing yourself too hard won’t do you any good either, and it can even lead to health issues which will prevent you from exercising at all.

About The Author: Scarlet is a passionate writer and regular contributor at highstylife.com interested in fashion, lifestyle, and health. She loves traveling, you could say that she is a real travel addict, especially when she has a chance to visit some exotic destinations. She would tell you that inspiration can be found in the most unexpected places.