Exercise Safety Awareness – What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You

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Like many of you…

I thought I knew a thing or two about working out.

I mean, I’ve watched the infomercials, read the magazines and even hired a few personal trainers here and there. I’ve also participated in exercise classes, joined (and quit) several fitness facilities and experimented with quite a few in-home fitness programs.

I knew what a squat was. I ‘knew’ that carbs were oh so bad. 

And I knew that “no pain, no gain made Jack a dull boy”.

Ok, well maybe not, but you get the idea.

The truth is, it doesn’t take a heck of a lot more than being exposed to some general information to feel as though you’ve acquired enough knowledge to consider yourself educated, or even an expert on something. While this may be fine in regard to certain subject matters, when it comes to exercise safety, awareness really is your friend.

Do you know:

  • that personal trainers aren’t required to have any specific education or qualifications before taking you on as a client?
  • why your family (in addition to your own) medical history plays a role in your exercise risk factors?
  • the difference between general and ‘special’ populations (and why it matters)?
  • why warming up and cooling down are SO important?
  • what proper progression means and how this may help prevent injury?
  • why working out with something in your mouth could be a HUGE mistake?
  • how to choose an appropriate in-home workout program?
  • what constitutes as myths and quackery in exercise and nutrition (hence the carbs reference above)?
  • the difference between ‘good and bad’ exercise pain?

I could go on, and I do. Elsewhere.

And I’m not the only one discussing exercise safety either. In fact, Men’s Health.com did a fantastic job discussing a similar theme in their article , “Picking a Personal Trainer – The Most Dangerous Fitness Advice“; as did Inside Edition Investigates “Are All Personal Trainers Qualified?“.

But please know – this isn’t about fear mongering

Look, here’s the thing

In matters and practices regarding weight-loss (especially when it’s desired from a place of emotional turmoil), we tend to make hasty and therefore, uninformed decisions without doing our research. We look for help, and hope that the information, including the professionals we seek out, are credible and educated enough to guide us in the right direction.

We seek a way out of our pain – we just want to be happy.

So when you hire that trainer, buy the DVD or participate in the group fitness class, don’t you want to know that you’re going about it the right way?

Because I’ll tell you what…

being fit and healthy is joy and a pleasure. Exercise related injuries are not. The latter can be avoided, but only if you’re aware of what you need to know to stay safe in an industry designed to bring you optimal health and well-being.

Look, I had mentioned that I thought I knew a thing or two about exercise based on the basic information available through popular media channels.

I had never given any thought to exercise safety!

It actually took sitting through a demanding curriculum consisting of 360 hours of academic, practical and hands on training with well-qualified instructors educated in Exercise Science and Physiology for me to gain an understanding of what things are really like in the fitness industry.

The kind of information required to implement a safe and properly structured exercise program isn’t widely advertised, so it’s a blessing you stumbled across this article.

Exercise safety awareness – what you don’t know can hurt you.

 

>> About the Author <<

I am Dana Gore, author of the book “A Simple Guide to Exercise Safety (What You Don’t Know CAN Hurt You)”, and graduate of Fitness Institute International, Inc. If you work out, or are thinking about adding fitness into your life, there are safety aspects to consider.

When it comes to exercise, awareness is our friend.

Visit my blog for more info at I Choose Awareness

 

 

Dana Gore
Creator of iammyimagination.com and author of the book A Simple Guide to Exercise Safety (What You Don't Know CAN Hurt You), Dana Gore completed the curriculum at Fitness Institute International, Inc. as an outstanding graduate in 2009.

Dana aims to bring guidance to the public about how to achieve optimal health in a safe and structured manner. She believes that the body follows the guidance and instruction of the mind and spirit. She inspires her readers to seek inner-peace as a means to well-being in all areas of life.