CLARION, Pa. (EYT) — Kristy Droske, CPT, CES — owner of No Excuses Gym and a member of Integrative Therapies — submitted the following article: Spring Fitness Safety

With spring starting to show up in all of our favorite ways, motivation to get outside and get moving is a little easier to find. Warmer temperatures, better conditions, and longer daylight hours with a little extra Vitamin D, provide great combatants against all of those wintery excuses.

As you start to dive into those outdoor activities, please be reminded of a few safety measures to take.

It’s Not Summer Just Yet

Although these temperatures and sun feels great coming out of bitter winter, it is important to still be properly dressed. Layers are usually helpful, but be cautious how far down you go. Your body temperature may be up, but the air temperature is still not high. A little extra sweat will do your body much better than cool/mild air drying it!

Smart Start

If you have spent your winter with minimal activity, be smart about getting started into your outdoor activities. Your mind and energy may be excited, but your body needs to warm back up to the range of motion and increased activity. Ease into your activities, and be sure to properly stretch on a daily basis for injury prevention.

Even if you were active over winter, but did not participate in a specific outdoor activity (ex. running), these steps are still very important.

Walking/Running Pedestrian Safety

I cannot express the extreme level of importance of knowledge of running/walking safety.

You are not invincible, and accidents can happen to anyone at any time. It is your responsibility for your own safety, and the safety of the drivers on the road to follow proper guidelines. Living in a rural area, we often don’t think much about it, and just go where we please thinking the low traffic makes it “safe.” This is not the case.

One car, one second is all it could take. PLEASE take a minute to visit www.rrca.org ( www.rrca.org/education/rrca-general-running-safety-tips ) to review the safety guidelines.

Biking Safety

Always check over your bike before heading out, and wear proper safety gear. Biking guidelines are NOT the same as walking/running on roads, but are just as important. There are actual LAWS to follow if biking on the road. Check out www.bikeleague.org/StateBikeLaws to review.

Trail Safety

Here in western Pa., we are blessed with a wide variety of trail options for hiking, biking, running, and walking. With the lack of motor vehicle threats, other safety issues apply on the trails.

One of the most important safety issue is to know where you are and where you are going. Many of our trails are in beautiful serene areas, that are “no service zones.” If you go astray from the trail, you may easily get disoriented. Have a safe sense of direction. Make sure someone is either with you or knows when you are heading out and arriving back.

Without hindering the great opportunity and pleasure trails can be, a trip and fall, a threatened animal, a criminal…are all a minor risk — but a risk at that. Carrying a small pack is always smart, mostly in the case when you are going longer distances. Water, compass, mini first aid, protein bar, a lighter, pocket knife, and pepper spray make a great little starter pack for longer trips.

Don’t forget if you are getting into the woods, bug spray is always a savior!

You can have Results or Excuses, Not Both