Safety precautions
If you think to start doing workouts with us and live a healthy lifestyle, that is a perfect decision!
But we must talk also about the risky side of it. If it’s been a while since you've done workouts, or if you have any health conditions (including obesity) that could increase your risk of injury it is important to know how to keep yourself safe, and avoid potential problems before they happen. The following information should help you in this.
Before You Start: Safety Precautions
If you are planning to increase your physical activity or start an exercise program, you start with a sedentary activity—answering a few short questions, that is. The PAR-Q (Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire) is the gold standard in fitness safety, used by doctors, trainers and health clubs the world over. Usually comprised of 5-7 questions, it can help rule out any underlying health concerns that could worsen with exercise. Answer yes or no to the following questions.
- Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition and that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?
- Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
- In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?
- Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?
- Do you have a bone or joint problem (for example, back, knee, or hip) that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
- Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs (for example, water pills) for your blood pressure or heart condition?
- Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?
If you answer YES to any of the questions on this list, you must check in with your doctor and get cleared for exercise before you start.
Likewise, if you have any chronic medical conditions (such as diabetes, high blood pressure, or arthritis) or risk factors (such as smoking or being more than 20 pounds overweight), and have not discussed exercising with your doctor, you should do so before beginning. Exercise is often an important part of the treatment for such conditions, but you may have some limitations or special needs that your doctor can tell you about.
And always remember the golden rule of exercise safety: start slowly, and build up the intensity and duration of your exercise gradually.
