Especially when it’s nice outside and the summer sun is shining, but not too hot, it’s nice to get outdoors and enjoy your fitness, instead of getting into shape in a stuffy gym. However, there are extra safety risks when it comes to get your fit on in the great outdoors. You want to make sure that you are safely exercising.
How much safety goes into your routine really depends on what it is that you’re doing. For some outdoor fitness your only safety may be needing to stay hydrated, while for other things you might want to have some equipment on hand. Here are some tips for safer outdoor fitness.
Bike Riding Safety
Biking is a great way to get a full body workout in, and it’s fairly inexpensive, once you’ve gotten a bike that works for you. The first step in safe bike riding is knowing the laws for bicycles where you life. You don’t want to put yourself at risk for an accident if you could have prevented it.
Some places have bike lanes designed just for people riding bicycles, while others require you to go with traffic or ride on sidewalks. Know which it is, or you might get a ticket for riding in the wrong place. If you have to ride along with cars, be safe and know how to properly signal turns, and always wear a helmet. It is all too easy to get knocked off a bike by an aggressive driver or even a stray car door, which may result in serious injury. If this is the case, you may want to consider getting in touch with a bike accident attorney, especially if your injury results in a permanent disability.
Safety When Walking/Jogging/Running
When you are out walking, jogging, or even running, safety requirements start with knowing your area. Are you jogging someplace safe? Are you jogging alone? Take some precautions, such as carrying some pepper spray with you.
You also want to make sure that you are staying hydrated, even if it isn’t that hot of a day. With a good workout you’re definitely going to be doing some sweating, and you need to replenish your body’s water supply.
Playing Sports Safely
The hydration safety tips goes just as well here, also. You’re sweating off water your body needs, so keep it replenished. However, there is far more safety to go into sports than that, more so for some sports than others.
Make sure you are wearing proper safety attire, like helmets and pads when playing things like hockey and football. You can also follow web links like https://stringking.com/mens-lacrosse/mesh/ to see what certified equipment you can get, so you are not at a disadvantage when playing. If you tend to have any knee issues, even just walking, wear a brace even if you’re just playing a round of golf. It’s better to be safe than sorry.
Swim Safety
And then you have swimming. Even an expert swimmer can have an accident once in awhile. Make sure the pool you are swimming at has proper safety gear, and a lifeguard on duty. If you’re not swimming in a pool, still make sure you have something that can be used as a flotation device, and that you never go swimming alone.
It pays to learn how to do CPR, and how to save a drowning victim, especially if you swim often. Swimming should be a fun way to exercise, not a nightmare in the making.