Tag Archives: visibility

General Safety Issues, Head Protection

SAFETY FIRST – HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU WILL NOT GET INJURIES WHILE EXERCISING (GUEST POST)

Regular exercise has many health benefits. Exercise can help you lose weight and reduce the risk of developing diseases, such as type II diabetes and hypertension. However, you should take precaution while exercising to avoid getting injuries. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the number of Americans who receive treatment for exercise related injuries stands at 10,000 every day. Common injuries related to exercising include abrasions, sprains, broken bones, and dislocated joints. Figures published by the Consumer Products Safety Commission (CPCS) show that the cost of treating these injuries tops $49 billion annually. To avoid adding to this enormous health bill, follow these tips while exercising. 

Warm up 

Many people overlook the importance of warming up first. This prepares your body and muscles to handle stresses related to working out. Your exercise build up should start with light cardiovascular exercises such as brisk walking or light jogging. This stimulates muscle nerves to function more efficiently. It also enhances the delivery of oxygen through increased blood flow to the muscles. As a result, muscles and ligaments move more freely. 

Use the Right Equipment and Attire 

When it comes to exercise, you should only use the right equipment. If you exercise at home, find a good elliptical trainer to fits your needs. It is best to buy equipment endorsed by reputable sports organizations and bodies. Besides equipment, you should have the right exercise gear and clothing. For example, you need shin guards, helmet, and gloves to ride your dirt bike outdoors. In addition, examine and check the equipment before beginning your exercise. This is to ensure that the equipment does not have faulty parts. 

Do not Over Exercise 

This may seem like a no brainer but many injuries result from over working certain body parts while exercising. CDC statistics show that high school athletes suffer more than two million injuries every year. If you have not been exercising in the past, start your daily exercises slowly and build up momentum slowly. For repetitive exercises, take adequate rests in between workouts. This will give your muscles time to recover and avoid injuries. 

Listen to Your Body 

Learn to listen to your body and take a rest when your body becomes tired. If an injury occurs, do not try to tough it out or push your body too hard. Instead, stop your exercises and apply first aid to the injured body part. You should seek medical treatment if the pain does not subside within 24 to 48 hours. The rule of thumb is to heed your common sense. 

Exercise related injuries could hamper your dreams of staying fit and healthy. In the US, anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injuries gobble up $1 billion in rehabilitation costs alone. This is according to numbers published by CDC. This does not mean that you should shun exercise altogether. Instead, use common sense while exercising and always start by warming up. This will redistribute more blood to your tendons and muscles making movement smoother. Finally, do not over do your regular exercises. 

About the Authors: 

Joyce G. is a professional health blogger and writer.  She currently partners with Nordictrack.com in raising awareness about the importance of health and fitness.NordicTrack has come to symbolize the means for serious athletes and fitness-buffs alike to “get ready for adventure,” whatever that may be. Visit our website and find a good elliptical trainer to fits your needs.

 Another tip: when riding your outdoor bike, wear a high visibility vest or other means of being seen, especially if riding early in the morning or late in the evening. Pat

 

General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety

CYCLING ON THE SAFE SIDE: BIKE LIGHTS (GUEST POST)

This article is brought to you by Batterymax.

There’s nothing that can really compare to the exhilarating feeling cruising the roads and streets on your bike.  The cool refreshing wind is blowing on your face.  You’re working on the pedals and with every motion; you get closer to your destination and healthier body.  Cycling in the daytime and in the evening provides distinct experiences.  Mostly with night cycling, there’s an added element of risk.  This is mainly why you need to have essential tools on your bike like bike lights to lower the risk of getting into an accident.

Bike Lights:  What These Mean for You

Bike lights or mountain bike lights can make a huge difference with your experience for night cycling.  It can keep you away from danger and it lessens the risk of you getting into any kind of accident while you’re riding around at night.  In a word, bike lights translate to safety.

How Bike Lights Protect Your Safety from mountain bike lights is a general idea.  You might be thinking about how these can really work to protect you.  Whether you’re using the 900 lumen bike light headlamp set or the Cree 1400 lumen bike light, these tools will give you the light you need so you can see more clearly in the dark – and also it makes you visible to other motorists.

It isn’t hard to imagine how you can get into accidents when it’s pitch black while you’re riding your bike.  There might be a hole on a paved road that can trip you over if you can’t see it.  You would never know how close you are biking on the edge of a ditch if there’s nothing but darkness around you.  What if just as you were riding under a street lamp, it goes out?  When you have bike lights on the handlebars of your bike and a light that’s affixed to your helmet, you can see where you’re going, avoid potholes and stay right on track with safety.

Visibility in cycling is always equated with the bike reflectors.  As useful as these are, they can sometimes fail as it doesn’t reflect light back so that other motorists in the road can see you.  Perhaps if you had your bike covered with reflectors, it might do you some good.  But clearly, you would still need the help of tools like mountain bike lights.  Attached at the back of your bike, and on the sides, you’ll less likely get into a collision with cars and even pedestrians.

If you like cycling, you have to think seriously about getting your bike equipped with safety features.  Whether you’re riding in the daytime or in the nighttime, it’s always better to be on the safe side – and always away from harm’s way.
 
Visit their site  http://www.batterymax.com.au/

P.S.  It’s always a good idea to wear a hi-vis safety vest that shows up well during both day and night.  pb

 

General Safety Issues, High Visibility Safety

DAWN/DUSK SAFETY IDEAS

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It seems there just aren’t enough hours in the day to allow daylight time for some folks to get their daily exercise.  For some, the only time that they have available to take that walk, jog, or ride is in the early morning hours, or after work.  Exercising outdoors in the dawn or dusk times of day can require more thoughts about safety than full daylight hours. 

Here are some ideas that you may or may not have thought about if you are one of those busy folks that want to fit in your daily exercise regimen: 

  • Stretch before and after exercise.
  • Always run, walk, or ride against traffic. 
  • Be aware of other runners, walkers, cyclists.
  • Leave your I-pod, radio, or MP3 player at home.  You will be more likely to hear oncoming traffic, other exercisers, dogs, etc., if you aren’t listening to music.
  • Be familiar with your route. 
  • Pay attention to your surroundings.
  • Watch for tripping hazards, such as debris, or bumps in the roads or sidewalks.
  • Be visible – wear clothes that are yellow, orange, or white.  Reflective gear will help you be seen.  Clip-On lights for your caps allow you to see and be seen.
  • Carry a cell phone and identification.
  • Take along a walking stick.
  • Be especially careful when you cross streets.
  • Stay in well-lit areas.
  • Use the “buddy system.”  It’s much safer and time passes quickly when you have someone to chat with.
  • If you get a bad feeling about your location, follow your instincts, and go the other direction.
  • Should a dog want to intimidate you, don’t run away, but walk away.  If he follows you, stop, and tell him “no,” or “go home.”(This is where the big stick might come in handy, so you can intimidate him.) (You may want to change your route, or call animal control if he continues to try to bother you.) 

If you’d rather not be in the outdoors, go to a mall to take your walk.  For those who don’t live where there’s a mall, there are fitness centers equipped with all types of equipment such as treadmills and ellipticals that offer great types of exercise (with air conditioning, too!)  Most of these places won’t be open in the early morning hours, but you could cut your lunch short to allow time to work out before they close. 

We hope some of these ideas will be helpful to those of you who must be outdoors during early or late hours.  Staying safe and enjoying your time away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life is very important.  It is also significant to point out that anyone driving during these times of lower visibility watch out for those who are riding bicycles, jogging, or walking.