Exercise Safety
Consumer Conscious
Try these tips to exercise safely!
Stop exercising right away if you:
- Have pain or pressure in the left-chest or mid-chest area -- or left neck, shoulder, or arm
- Feel dizzy or sick
- Break out in a cold sweat
- Have muscle cramps
- Feel pain in your joints, feet, ankles, or legs. You could hurt yourself if you ignore the pain.
Avoid over-exercising symptoms:
- Slow down if out of breath. You should be able to talk while exercising without gasping for breath.
- Drink lots of water before, during, and after exercise (even water workouts) to replace the water you lose by sweating.
- Do not do hard exercise for 2 hours after a big meal (but a 5- to 10-minute walk is OK). If you eat small meals, you can exercise more often.
Wear the right clothes:
- Wear lightweight, loose-fitting tops so you can move easily.
- Women should wear a good support bra.
- Wear supportive athletic shoes for weight-bearing activities.
- Wear clothes made of fabrics that absorb sweat and remove it from your skin.
- Never wear rubber or plastic suits. These could hold the sweat on your skin and make your body overheat.
- Wear a knit hat to keep you warm when you exercise outdoors in cold weather. Wear a baseball cap in hot weather to help keep you cool.
- Wear sunscreen when you exercise outdoors. Cover all areas of exposed skin whenever outdoors.
