Tips for Keeping Exercising Safe!

Unfortunately, no human endeavor is totally free of risk - including exercise. The risks of exercise, however, can be minimized by adhering to certain principles and guidelines.

The first step is to ensure that you are medically safe to exercise. For the majority of people this is only a formality yet may be your most important move. It usually involves seeing a physician and undergoing a physical examination and evaluation prior to starting your exercise program.

Risk Factors

The extent of your evaluation may depend on many different variables; your age, risk factors, medical limitations, and current health status to name a few. For example, all individuals who are over the age of 40 or who are considered to be "at risk" should undergo a physician-supervised, graded exercise stress test prior to beginning an exercise program.

Risk factors generally include one or more of the following:

* smoking

* hypertension

* high cholesterol 

* obesity

* diabetes

* family history of medical problems

Healthy individuals with no risk factors are usually cleared to exercise upon completing a basic examination and completing a medical/health risk appraisal questionnaire. If no contraindications for exercise are revealed the individual is normally cleared to participate in an exercise program.

Develop a Personal Exercise Routine

The next step is to develop a sound exercise program based on basic information about your current health and fitness status. This information may include:

* resting heart rate and blood pressure

* flexibility

* weight and body composition

* aerobic capacity

* muscular strength

* endurance

This information is used to help establish appropriate starting levels of intensity and duration for your exercise activities.

Remember Moderation

The temptation to do "too much, too soon" is a common mistake of many first time exercisers. Moderation is essential: a major cause of musculoskeletal injuries result from overuse. Overuse injuries occur when you extend the body beyond its normal capacity yet not to the point of acute injury.

The signs are often masked and the symptoms can occur days or weeks after the onset of injury. A sound program allows for gradual increases in exercise intensity and duration. Proper rest between exercise sessions also enables you to better recover from the demands placed on the body by exercise.

The final step is to listen to your body. The following signals are all indicators that perhaps you have overdone it, and should consider stopping:

* dizziness 

* light-headedness

* abnormal heart beats 

* pain in your chest

* abnormal musculoskeletal pain,

* prolonged fatigue

These signals are your body's way of telling you that something is wrong. Remember that we exercise to improve our health not break it down. If you have any questions about starting your own exercise program consult your physician or health professional.

Lyea Chu, MS., ETT, teaches fitness and safety classes throughout the Valley.