Thursday, January 4, 2018

Gym Safety


I‘ve always been a gym rat but I recently changed gym locations because they opened up a new gym very close to my house. So I decided to try it out and I can’t help but notice how many new people are going to the gym. I normally see new people in the gym after the holidays after January or February there is an increase in membership. About March there is a slight drop off on membership. I am sure there are reasons for this drop off the weather tends to be nicer so they may choose to work out in the outdoors. Whatever the reason is I think it is important to be safe in the gym to avoid injury. Since joining my new gym I have seen some new person get injured thankfully nothing serious but enough where they would have to give up physical activity for a while until they are healthy.

First, before you begin any fitness program inside a gym or at home you should see your doctor. Just as a rule you should get a yearly checkup anyway but definitely before joining a gym. You want to know if you have any conditions prior to starting any workout also the yearly checkup will let you know if you are on the right track health wise.

Do not skip a warm up or cool down after your workout. This is very important to avoid injury in the gym. Your warm up does not have to be long just 3 to 5 minutes this will allow the blood to flow bring your heart rate up slightly. A very easy warm up would be a walk on a treadmill for 3 minutes you want your muscle fibers to be loose. Also please take time to stretch.

When you are at the gym if you are lifting lighter is better. You want to have good form do not use too much weight in the beginning it better to take your time learn proper form. When you are doing cardio I start with a short period of time and extended the time as you feel more comfortable with the cardio routine.

When in doubt about any workout form or routine see a personal trainer. They will give advice for free most of the time and are happy to help and share their knowledge.

Lastly, keep the gym neat put weights back. I cannot tell you how many times I see people trip over weights left in the middle of the gym floor. Also please wipe down benches and machines, wiping down machines prevent colds or flu from spreading. 

I hope this is helpful as always please leave a comment

Mark Carbajal 

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