In today’s world, gym membership and a consistent workout routine are almost synonymous with a successful life. It seems like everyone has some form of exercise regiment, and if not, they are trying to motivate themselves to start one.

But like all fads and popular movements, people can get carried away by the flashier aspects. Things like taking that perfect post-workout selfie or finding the best brand of fitness wear. This will lead to suffering in the long run from a lack of knowledge and research.

When it comes to pushing and transforming the body, safe practices should never be taken lightly. So we’re here to share with you our top tips on how to practice exercising safely when you hit the weights and treadmills.

Balance Your Fluids and Temperature

Always ensure that you warm up and cool down before and after every workout session, and ALWAYS keep yourself as hydrated as possible. For most people, simple water is enough.

But if you maintain a particularly vigorous workout over periods longer than 90 minutes, you should consider drinking electrolyte drinks. These will replenish all your essential fluids. Keeping the body in balance is important, and it can be easy to overlook these parts of the workout. Hydration is key.

Shake up Your Routine

It can be tempting to hone in one area of your body that you want to improve. Maybe you favor strength training over cardio or vice versa because you want to gain or lose mass. But overtraining some areas of the body can put you in danger of strain or damage.

Try to use different kinds of equipment that work the different muscles in your body (there should be diagrams on each machine to guide you) and alternate your routine between a healthy amount of strength training and cardio.
Wear the Right Clothing

Make sure you wear appropriate clothing while you exercise. Light and loose-fitting fabrics that absorb sweat from your skin and allow air to circulate are ideal, and materials like cotton, nylon, and spandex are most common.

It should be noted that you should never wear clothing or accessories made from plastic or rubber during your workout. They can act as insulators, storing heat and potentially lead to serious health risks and dehydration.

Work Out Properly

If your job involves working with machinery, you go through months of training to ensure you can use any and all equipment safely and correctly. Why would your workout be any different? Whether you’re working with weights or simply focusing on cardio, you need to know how to use the equipment properly to avoid hurting yourself.

Do basic warm-up, stretching when you begin any workout and similarly, slowly cool down in the end.

This also applies to your body — you should be aware of how to move while exercising so you don’t strain yourself and pull any muscles. In all practices, the technique is everything. There are lots of websites, such as Ask Muscle, that are dedicated to teaching people safe form and posture during a workout.

Listen to Your Body

Intuition is important. Your body knows when something is wrong. If you pay attention, you can register bad exercise practice simply from how you are feeling. If some particular kind of movement, stretch, or muscle doesn’t feel quite right, stop immediately and take rest.

Final Thoughts

These are just a few essential steps for getting through your exercise routine safely. But of course, they are not the only ones. We recommend that you do further research to make sure that you’re improving your health and enjoying a vigorous workout with as much comfort and as little danger as possible.