Safety first!

Preparing to exercise can be just as important as the actual physical activity. An injury when you first start exercising may slow down your progress towards a healthy lifestyle or halt your motivation all together.

Keeping to a regular workout schedule will help you stay with the behavior, so taking steps to prevent injury is an important part of adding physical activity to your life.

The best way to avoid injury when you're starting an exercise program is to start out slowly.

Before beginning any exercise routine talk to you health care provider. They will be able to answer any questions your have before beginning new exercise routine and make sure you're prepared for physical activity.

Here are a few things to consider before you start an exercise program.

Dress for success: Make sure the clothes you choose for your workout are comfortable and lightweight. Tops should be loose-fitting, so you can move easily, or made from a fabric, like Lycra®, that is designed to move sweat away from your body. Wear supportive athletic shoes.

• If you're exercising outside, make sure to think about the weather as you get dressed.  Do you need a hat or gloves?  Dress in layers, so you can adjust your clothing throughout your workout.  Remember to always to wear sunscreen.

• Make sure clothing won't interfere with your workout or cause you to trip and fall.  Be aware of any strings or ties, including shoelaces.

Easy does it: When beginning an exercise program gradually build up the time spent on the activity by adding a few minutes each day until you feel comfortable at the recommended time for being active.  A good rule of thumb is to not increase by more than 10% to 20% per week.  So if you're walking for 20 minutes then don't increase by more than 2-4 minutes each week.

Take care of your muscles: At the beginning of any physical activity take 3-5 minutes to properly warm up your muscles, either by stretching or beginning the activity at the lower intensity.  As you near the end of the activity, cool down by decreasing the level of intensity. 

For example, before jogging, walk for a few minutes increasing the pace to a brisk walk.  When you've finished jogging, slow down to a walk, decreasing your pace over 3-5 minutes.  Finish by stretching.

Keep up the H2O: Make sure you stay hydrated. You need to replace the water your body loses through sweat when you workout. The recommendation is to have 7-10 ounces of water every 10-20 minutes, especially when it is hot and humid.

• Watch out for flavored waters and sports drinks.  Many of these drinks provide unnecessary calories, sugar and salt.  Some drinks have more than 200 calories per serving! That's as much as a serving of potato chips!  Play it safe and stick to plain water. The only time you really need beverages like Gatorade is when you're exercising vigorously for more than one hour.  Save your money, water is a free healthy option!  If you need a little flavor add lemon or lime juice to enhance the taste.

Know when to stop or slow down: If you feel out of breath, slow down. You should immediately stop your activity if you:

• Have pain, tightness or pressure in your chest or neck, shoulder, or arm.

• Feel dizzy, sick or break out in a cold sweat.

• Are extremely short of breath.

• Have pain in your joints, feet, ankles, or legs. Ignoring the pain may cause you to hurt yourself.

Did You Know? is a series of health articles written by HHPC and reviewed by our Health Advisory Board.