How to make your own safety when outdoor exercise
It may be dark, cold and occasionally snowy, but it would take much more than that to stop dedicated walkers, runners and outdoor exercisers from doing what they love to do. But exercising outside at any time of the year carries certain unique safety concerns and requires extra diligence.
During the winter months, we see a slight uptick in potential danger for runners, primarily due to the fact that daylight hours are shortened and that they’re bogged down in extra apparel. Here are my top personal-safety tips for outdoor exercisers:
General Safety Tips
These tips are applicable all year long, but they can be especially important during the chillier and darker months of winter:
* Leave your music at home. If you can’t fathom running without music, choose a small portable speaker that you can carry or zip into a pocket, but you want your ears open.
* Bring your phone. It’s important to be able to call 911 if you find yourself in a medical or criminal emergency.
* Plan your route ahead of time. If you’re headed out after the sun has set, it’s extra important to choose streets and paths that will be well-populated and well-lit.
- Notify a trusted friend or family member before you leave the house. Let this person know what time you’re leaving, what route you’ll be taking and what time they can expect a text from you that you’ve finished your run and are back home. Just don’t forget to send that text after you get back!
* Remember your ID. Buy an ID wristband or ankle band for runners and write your name, emergency contact and any pertinent medical info on the insert.
* Self-defense device. Many runners choose to carry a safety device like pepper spray. It’s a personal choice that you alone should make, but if you carry a device, it’s imperative that you know how to use it and are prepared to employ it.
* Check your six. This is a military and law-enforcement term for “looking behind you.” Make it a point to take a quick glance behind you every few minutes. By all means, use your run as time to decompress, but be sure you don’t zone out. Having tunnel vision is a dangerous habit to get into.
What to Wear
Most people don’t think of their apparel as contributing to or detracting from their safety, but here are a few things to keep in mind as you dress for your workout in the winter:
* Choose light or white clothing for better visibility.
* Make sure you have reflective outerwear, such as a vest or wrist and ankle bands.
* Opt for jackets without hoods, which can be easily grabbed from behind
* Be careful of neck warmers and scarves. You want something that will tear or that can be easily removed by you from the front without having to lift it over your head.
* Choose gloves over mittens so you have the use of your fingers.
* Make sure hats and ear warmers don’t muffle sound excessively.
* Tuck long hair up in a hat or use a side braid instead of a ponytail.
Commit to spending a few extra minutes of prep time and have an awareness of the importance of best practices, that way you’ll be able to dramatically increase your personal safety and keep your runs sacred. - GZZG Fitness Equipment Co., Ltd. is a professional fitness equipment manufacturers, gym equipment manufacturers in china.