Fitness Safety

To have a fit and healthy body, you need to eat the right kind of food and exercise regularly. However, there are some people who overtrain or do not perform the exercise properly, resulting to more harm than good. To achieve your Fitness Goals and have a good physical condition, make sure to be extra careful when doing your Fitness routine. In this section, learn some tips to stay injury-free and get familiar with the common workout- and Pilates-related injuries.

Fitness Safety Tips
Fitness Safety Tips We’re always up to our toes to lose the extra pounds. The problem is, others tend to overdo it to speed up getting back into shape. Here are just a few reminders on how to keep sweating towards a healthier you – less the injury and risk factors:

* Consult a health professional.
If you’re starting out on a new Fitness routine, remember to consult a health professional to provide expert advice before you begin. This is a must to foresee possible health risks posed by the exercise, especially for those with medical conditions. It is best to seek professional guidance rather than risking your health and safety.

* Warm up and stretch.
The vital parts in every exercise routine are stretching or warming up. Often overlooked when starting out one’s exercise regimen, stretching actually prepares your muscles to the impending rigidity of your workout. A good pointer is to do a less strenuous version of the exercise you’re about to do. Warming up prevents you to feel the strain of your activity by gradually increasing your heart rate, and puts off the buildup of lactic aid that causes soreness and tiredness in your muscles. A good 5- to 10-minute warm up is necessary before you exercise.

* Drink plenty of fluids.
Dehydration is one of the common problems suffered by individuals who frequently exercise. This may pose as a serious problem as water is a vital component of the human body, making up almost 78% of our body. Make sure you hydrate by drinking plenty of fluids so that which is lost from sweating is restored back to your body. Fluids help muscle endurance, as dehydrated muscles easily get sore and tired.

* Work with a Fitness partner.
A Fitness partner or a buddy may be helpful especially if you are not exercising under the watchful eye of a Fitness Trainer. A Fitness friend can be your spotter, motivator, or warn you in case you are overtraining. Besides, working with someone is better than exercising alone. It makes all the exercise much more fun.

* Wear the right kind of clothing and footwear.
Wearing the wrong shoe is usually the common cause of exercise injuries. Make sure that you’re wearing the right shoe size, and provide much needed support for your feet. Appropriate clothing is also a must. Wear comfortable clothes that are quick to dry and allow you to move freely during your regimen.

* Know your limitations.
Most of us tend to overdo our Fitness regimen just to shed off those extra calories we have gained. Try resting for a day in between your Fitness regimen to allow your muscles and body to recover. Muscle soreness and discomfort may lead to burnout and you may have to give up on your regimen all too quickly.

Common Fitness & Workout Injuries
Common Fitness & Workout Injuries A lot of people dread to exercise because of the pain it brings them. They are the ones who are made to believe that if there is no pain, there is no gain, which shouldn't be the case. Sure, Fitness Exercises can be pretty exhausting but these shouldn't be painful. If it starts to feel that way, then there is something wrong. In this section, get familiar with the different injuries related to working out:

Pulled/Strained Muscles
This may be caused by one or both of these things: not doing warm-up exercises and not stretching. If you fail to do warm-up exercises, you are surely asking for trouble. Warming up is done to prepare your muscles for the task ahead of you.

Meanwhile, Stretching helps loosen up your muscles so that they can be flexible enough for the Fitness Exercise that you will do.

Lower Back Pain
This usually happens when you often do an exercise that uses the muscles on your lower back intensively, like Running. Another cause is lifting a heavy weight without bending your knees.

To avoid this, try doing exercises that strengthen your lower back and abdomen. Take a day off from the activity that causes it so the pain will not get worse.

Ice and gentle stretching can do the job of easing the pain. Consult your doctor about it especially if the pain persists. It may be a sign of a more serious injury.

Knee Pain
Pain in the knees can be from a variety of causes. But this type of injury can put your Fitness life at risk especially if you are a runner. One way to avoid knee pain is by not overusing your knees.

Cross training involves low-impact training that helps prevent overuse injuries. So if you're a runner, for instance, you can avoid injuries due to overuse by going swimming. Doing so will lessen the chances of injuries such as pain on your knees and lower back.


To avoid these injuries, follow these simple guidelines: warm up and stretch, cool down after you exercise, do not lift too much weight immediately, and take some time to rest and let your body heal. By following these rules, your chances of getting injured are minimized and you become insured of being able to exercise for a longer time.

Pilates & Back Pain - Common Pilates Injuries to Avoid
Written by Super Member: jenpilates


Pilates & Back Pain - Common Pilates Injuries to Avoid Because of the increasing popularity of Pilates, there seems to be more complaints of Pilates and back pain.

Why are there so many Pilates back injuries all of a sudden? There are many reasons for Pilates back injuries - some of which are due to overcrowded classes and inexperienced teachers. Because of the complexity and focus needed to execute the movements properly, if they are not cued just right and without proper warm-up, you could wind up hurting yourself.

There are many different hybrid types of Pilates classes popping up and people are joining them, thinking they are learning the classical movements. Pilates on the ball, Pilates with the bar and Yogilates are just a few that combine other forms of exercise that you may just not be ready for.

How can you avoid Pilates and back pain? Take a look at some of the most common Pilates exercises that may contribute to back pain.

* Imprinting the Spine: When you imprint the spine into your mat, this means you are pressing the spine or back into the mat.
This exercise can cause compression on the discs of the spine.

Better Option: Neutral Spine (using the natural curvature of the spine) is the only place where the muscles can work safely and effectively to support the spine in all movements.

* Roll-Up: Most people use momentum to do the roll-up.
This exercise can cause Pilates lower back injuries when done repetitively and with tight hip flexors and weak core muscles.

Better Option: Use a mini ball at the lower back to help support the back as you roll into it only halfway down.

* Swimming and Swan Dive: Lying on your stomach with arms and legs extended.
These exercises, when lifting the arms and legs, can cause the back to hyperextend and cause excessive disc compression.

Better Option: Draw the abdominals up off the mat and extend one arm and opposite leg, keeping the head down on the mat.

* Rolling: Rolling like a ball is supposed to be gentle and like a massaging action.
If you have Osteoporosis, this exercise can cause fractures of the spine if done too aggressively. Also, by throwing the head and not engaging the abdominal muscles, it can cause compression of the lower back as well as whiplash in the neck.

Better Option: Practice just balancing on your tailbone - sitting up or lying down - hugging your knees and rocking gently back and forth without rolling up to a balance.

* Leg Circles: Lying on your back with one leg at 90-degree angle and the other straight on the mat.
If you have tight hamstrings, keeping both legs straight, can pull excessively on the lower back and not allow you to effectively keep the tailbone down and use the abdominal muscles to stabilize the body.

Better Option: Bend the leg you are circling so the spine can relax into its neutral position and then the torso is better able to stay anchored, making the exercise more effective.

Pre-natal Guidelines for the Athletic Mom
Written by Super Member: Julio Salado, NSCA-CPT


Pre-natal Guidelines for the Athletic Mom It is recommended that individuals consult a physician before starting a fitness program.


This section covers some basic guidelines for pregnant women who have participated in a long-term physical training program prior to being pregnant. Women who led a more sedentary lifestyle prior to their pregnancy should first seek assistance from a health professional. If this is your first pregnancy, you should get your doctor’s approval before beginning any exercise program.

IMPORTANT NOTE: The first trimester is a very crucial time for the fetus. The fetus is unable to regulate its own body temperature to that of the mother. During this trimester, pregnant athletes should avoid exercising in hot conditions and for duration that exceeds 60 minutes.

Consistency of your training program is very important. Three to five times per week is sufficient. This includes any physical activity which is done in 25 minutes or more.

Heart Rate: You want to be about 60%-70% of your resting heart rate (non-athletes should not exceed 140BPMs). You should take your pulse during your training. You may use a Heart Rate Monitor to detect your heartbeat per minute. Please note: Heart rate will NOT be 100% accurate due to the physiological changes occurring in your first/second trimester. More importantly, your perceived rate of exertion is key (stay within a comfort zone). You will want to be mindful of your internal temperature and levels of stress.

Hydration: You must drink water throughout the session. Your urine should appear diluted and almost clear as water. Hyperthermia should be avoided.

Right Breathing: Focus on 'diaphragmatic breathing'. Heavy emphasis should be placed on breathing in through the nose (simultaneously expanding belly) and exhaling through the mouth (simultaneously drawing in navel). You should never hold your breath throughout any exercise.

Aerobic Training: You should continue to build up your heart and lung capacity/conditioning. This may be done through circuit training e.g. swimming, walking, stationary cycle, Yoga or low-impact aerobic classes. No high-impact exercises should be performed.

Strength Training: It is very important to continue strength training for your bone density, muscular conditioning, and overall health. Your training should focus more on functional exercises or movements that can be utilized in your daily activities.

Note: Form is extremely important. Strive for quality, not quantity of exercises. Heavy loading of weights is not necessary.

Posture: You should begin to minimize long durations of exercises on your back due to blood circulation and decrease of oxygen for your fetus. One to two minutes in a supine position is a good time frame. After the first trimester, you will need to modify your exercises and stop supine or exercises on your back. Lastly, you will also need to minimize standing exercises during your third trimester.

Stretches: We do not want to stretch to maximum tension or perform ballistic stretches. Joint laxity increases during pregnancy.

Re-assess/stop training if you have any of the following during or after your workout. I strongly suggest seeking medical attention if you experience any of the following:

* Vaginal bleeding
* Dizziness
* Nausea/Headache
* Chest pain
* Muscle weakness/Decreased balance
* Difficulty walking
* Calf pain or swelling
* Pre-term labor
* Decreased fetal movement
* Amniotic fluid leakage

Concern for the mother
Hypoglycemia: Your blood sugar levels can drastically drop during your pre-natal training. Monitor your food consumption and eat the appropriate amount of calories for you and your baby.

All programs should also include a cool-down phase and SMR Foam Roller. You should not foam roll over varicose veins or areas of swelling such as in the calf muscle.


This is a exciting time for you and staying active will help ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy.

Gym Ethics
Gym Ethics A lot of people are going to the gym to exercise and stay fit. This can help people to keep motivated since other people in the gym are also trying to reach the same Fitness goal.

Just like in any other place, there are unspoken rules or Gym Ethics that everyone should follow when going to the gym. These guidelines are simple and yet there are some who neglect them. For safety purposes and to have a harmonious relationship with like-minded people in the gym, keep these tips in mind:

* Wear clean and appropriate Gym Clothes. It is important to keep yourself clean at all times. Since you will be sweating a lot, make sure to bring a towel.

* Use a towel to clean all pieces of gym equipment after you use them.

* Put the weights, Dumbbells, and Barbells on their proper places. This can help avoid certain accidents such as tripping over weights that are not placed on the right places.

* Keep your voice down. Bear in mind that other people want to concentrate on what they are doing.

* Respect other people's personal space.

* Be considerate of others. Never criticize and do not interrupt others especially when they are lifting weights. If all the machines are being used and you have been using one for quite a while, give someone else a chance to use the machine. Also, it is better to avoid giving unsolicited advice. Ask first if there is anything that you can help him/her with.

* Be friendly to the staff and other people in the gym.


Follow the do's and don'ts in a gym so other people will not get annoyed because of your bad behavior. Even if the gym does not place reminders of what you should and should not do, be sensitive to others so everyone can have a pleasant experience while shedding those unwanted pounds.




There are many pieces of equipment that are specifically designed for your Fitness needs. In general, it is a matter of preference or need. Use only what is suitable to the kind of Fitness exercise that you do.