Home Exercise – Follow These Rules And No One Gets Hurt!

Exercise is good for your health. But, like anything in life, there are exceptions to the rule.  I'm sure you've seen videos of people falling off treadmills, lifting weights that are too heavy and overdoing it in so many different ways.

Don't let that stop you from exercising! Just follow these rules so you can workout safely in your  own home.

Always Warm Up and Cool Down

Sometimes a warm up can seem redundant - won’t your body warm up anyway after you’ve been working out for a few minutes?  Yes, but warming up first can help loosen your muscles and joints before you get into the higher intensity workouts, which is when most injuries happen.  Though it may seem like a waste of time, make warming up a priority in your workout routine.

You can warm up by doing some light cardio (e.g. walking) before a cardio or weight training session.  Five minutes is usually good enough to get your body ready for exercise; if you have any medical conditions, such as asthma, a 10 minute warm up may be right for you.

After exercising, you can cool down the same way.  

Keep It Simple

If you’re just starting out, make sure you start with a short exercise routine.  The worst thing you can do is overdo it, and exercise too much.  You can injure your muscles, because they just aren’t used to it yet.

You can slowly increase your exercise over time, as your muscles adjust.  It’s very important to get your body used to doing exercises of any kind before taking it up a level.

See:  Good Exercise Workouts for Beginners

Start Off Slow

Slowly increase your speed and endurance.  Never try doing any more than you can physically do.  You need to know your limits, and stick with them.  Lifting 300 pound weights when you only weigh 150 pounds right off the bat, is not only a bad idea, but dangerous as well!

See:  How Often Should I Exercise?

Know Your Equipment

If you’re using any kind of exercise equipment, make sure that it’s in good condition and that you know how to use it properly.  It’s obviously not a good idea to exercise with faulty equipment, which can break and cause major injuries.  Not only that, if you don’t know how to use the equipment properly, you can be putting yourself at risk for injury as well.

Be Careful If Working Alone

If you’re lifting weights, it’s never a good idea to bench press alone.  Even if you’re doing lighter weights than you have done before, you never know when the bar can become too heavy for you to lift back up.  If it comes down onto your chest or neck area, you could have your air circulation blocked off.  Obviously this can be extremely dangerous and even fatal, so always make sure to get someone to come and spot you when doing any bench presses.

Use the safety clip  that comes with your treadmill at all times. Don't fudge it. It can save you a world of hurt if you fall.

Listen to Your Body

As you’re doing your exercises, pay attention to your body.  If you ever start feeling any pain, stop immediately and take care of the pain.  Go to a doctor if necessary.  Never continue with your exercises, thinking you can “work through the pain.”  Just stop, and take care of your injury.

Get a Good Pair of Shoes

Wear comfortable shoes if you’re planning on doing any walking or running exercises.  A cheap, low quality pair of shoes will only make your feet hurt, and discourage you from completing your workout.  Not only that, but they can even cause you to injure muscles as well, so go for the good quality shoes that are comfortable on your feet.

See: Tips for Finding the Right Pair of Shoes

Following these simple steps can help ensure that you have a safe work out at home.  Take it easy, and listen to what your body is trying to tell you.  You can exercise freely, without risk of injury, so long as you’re willing to take the steps needed to be safe.

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