What are some general safety tips for starting an exercise program?

No matter which type of exercise you do, there are certain factors to consider each and every time you exercise. These general tips can help you stay safe while exercising, enjoy a fruitful workout, and identify warning signs that may mean you should seek medical attention.

• Check with your doctor before starting an exercise program.
• Set aside a specific time each day to make physical activity and exercise part of your routine so you are less likely to skip the workout.
• When needed, you can break up your daily activity goal into smaller sessions. For example, you could go for a 10-minute walk three times a day, or a 15-minute walk two times a day to get the recommended amount of moderate intensity activity - 30 minutes a day, 5 days of the week. Just make sure the shorter sessions are at least 10 minutes long.
• Get a friend or family member to join you. This will make your physical activity more enjoyable, help you encourage each other, and it’s the safest way to exercise.
• Always warm up for at least 5 to 10 minutes (or longer if you have special considerations such as heart disease or other medical conditions) before any physical activity and cool down at least 5 to 10 minutes at the end of your activity.
• To stay hydrated, drink water before, during, and after exercise.
• Maintain proper form during exercise. It is essential for safety and effectiveness. Seek the help of a physical therapist or certified personal trainer if needed.
• Vary your exercise program. When you do the same activities over and over, your body becomes efficient at performing them. Plus, you may get bored. You will need to change your routine every six to eight weeks to keep your body constantly adapting.
• Figuring out your target heart rate and taking the Talk Test (you should be able to have a conversation with someone while exercising) are two ways to monitor your body and make sure you are not working harder than you are able to as you begin your heart-healthy physical activity plan.
• In addition to cardio, strength training, and stretching exercises, consider also practicing specific balance exercises to help prevent falls and injuries. Balance techniques are used frequently as exercises in yoga or you can try other, simple forms of balancing exercises.
• If at any time you feel lightheadedness, dizziness, or chest discomfort during physical activity, call your doctor or dial 911 in the case of an emergency.

For a full understanding of your health status and general fitness before starting a fitness program, you should see your health care provider for a physical and medical clearance.

For safety and to prevent injuries before starting your fitness program, meet with a NASM certified personal trainer for a dynamic postural assessment. A dynamic postural assessment observes your basic body movements, how your muscles and joints work together, and to look for any imbalances or dysfunctions in your posture alignment that can be corrected

After completing your dynamic postural assessment, an excellent start to your fitness program is completing (for 4 to 6 weeks) the stabilization endurance level of the NASM’s Optimum Performance Training (OPT) model.

The stabilization phase offers many benefits to prepare your body as you proceed into your fitness training. The two best stabilization endurance training benefits I found are: preparing your body structure and connective tissues for the stress of strength training, and addressing and correcting restrictive flexibility, muscle imbalances and posture adjustments.

Following the completion of your stabilization training, you can now safely move into more extensive fitness training.

Before beginning any exercise program, you should see your health care provider for a physical and medical clearance. If you are using a personal trainer, be sure that the personal trainer you choose puts you through a comprehensive assessment to evaluate medical history, personal goals and look at your current physical status.

If you are not using a personal trainer, always begin and progress slowly. Begin with light weight, higher repetitions at a slow and controlled tempo at first. This will help prepare your body for the stress of strength training and correct poor movement patterns.  Stay at this lower level phase for 4-6 weeks as this will allow for optimal adaptation time. After this you can begin increasing the intensity and durations of the workouts.

In addition to all the good advice others have given here, I'd suggest:

• Wear comfortable shoes with good arch and ankle support.
• Wear comfortable clothing. No fancy workout garb required. A comfy t-shirt and shorts/sweats will do.
• It's a good idea to get a heart monitor so you can check the intensity of your workout and progress safely.
• If you exercise outside, walk in a safe, well-lit area. Watch for traffic in busy areas. Don't forget to dress accordingly on hot/cold days and be prepared for inclement weather. Wear sunscreen.
• Stay well-hydrated. Keep the water bottle filled and handy.
• Exercise with a buddy--could be more fun, challenging and safer.
• Have fun!