It’s never too late to start exercising and turn it into a habit. However, it’s important to keep safety in mind while exercising, especially as a beginner. A serious exercise injury can leave you out of commission for months, and statistically, beginners are more likely to injure themselves than veterans.
If you are looking to start exercising, here are some safety tips to keep in mind.
1 – Start slow
It’s good to be motivated and excited about exercising, but those emotions can drive beginners to push too hard too fast. To make matters worse, some injuries don’t become apparent until your body has cooled off, so you may not notice any issues immediately.
You can get around this by starting slow and working with some guidance. The best solution is to have a personal trainer help you put together a beginner’s training program that will match your current fitness level. If that is not an option, there are plenty of training guides for beginners available online.
2 – Use the right gear
One of the advantages of working out in one of the best gyms Dubai is that they’ll have professional-grade equipment to help you get started. But it’s important to remember that the equipment you bring with you from home is just as important as what you’ll be using at the gym.
When lifting weights, for example, it’s important to make sure you are wearing the proper footwear to prevent slipping or tripping accidents. Weight lifting belts and gloves can also help prevent injuries and protect your body.
Other exercises like swimming, running, playing tennis, dancing, and more can all also be made safer by using the proper gear. Which is something you can learn about by doing some research, or talking to people who have experience with that activity.
3 – Warm up before exercising
It’s important to start with a light activity before your workout. The goal when warming up is to elevate your heart rate, which will oxygenate your muscles, preparing them for the training ahead, as this article by the American Heart Association explains. Warming up can prevent injuries, and make your workout more effective.
4 – Stretch while your body is warm
Warm-ups should last between 5 and 10 minutes. After warming up is when you should stretch, which helps to loosen up your body and can also prevent injuries, on top of providing several other benefits.
Just remember that while not stretching is dangerous, overstretching can also cause injuries. The goal when stretching is to push it right to the edge of when the stretch would become uncomfortable.
It’s also important to make sure you are stretching the correct muscle groups. If you are a runner, for example, you’ll want to stretch not only your legs and calf muscles but also your arms and hips.
5 – Respect the cool down period
Standing still or sitting down while your heart rate is still elevated can place unnecessary stress on your cardiovascular system. So instead of stopping right away, you should walk and do other light movements to give your body the chance to gradually return to its normal state.
6 – Get a clean bill of health
Finally, it’s important to check with your doctor before you start exercising to make sure your health is ok. After that initial checkup, it’s wise to get a checkup again at least once a year.