The Safe Way to Exercise

• Stay healthy
• Improve your body movement
• Increase your flexibility and strength
• Control your weight
• Feel better about yourself
• Sleep better

Talk to your doctor before starting new exercises.

Your doctor will check your:

• General health
• Medications
• The way you move
• Talk to your doctor about:
  • Which exercises are best for you
  • How to stay safe when exercising

Warm up before you exercise.

Warming up helps:

• Loosen your muscles
• Prevent injuries
• Run in place for a few minutes
• Breathe slowly and deeply
• Practice the motions of the exercises you plan to do.

Examples of stretches are:

• Moving your arms towards your toes
• Reaching towards the sky
• Stop if the stretches hurt
• Take your time.

• When we exercise, we loose a lot of water
• Drink water often when you exercise
• Drink water even before you get thirsty
• Water keeps you from overheating

Take frequent rest breaks when you exercise.

Taking a break will keep you from getting sick or injured.

Stop and tell someone if:

• You feel sick to your stomach
• You feel dizzy
• You feel a pain in your chest
• You feel like you cannot breath very well

Cool down and stretch after you exercise.

• Slow down your exercise movements until you cool down
• Repeat the stretches you did before you started exercising
• Cooling down and stretching will help your muscles feel good

Be careful when you exercise.

• Exercise is good for you and will help you stay healthy
• Anyone can get hurt while exercising
• The next slides show what to do if you get hurt while exercising.

If you strain or pull a muscle:

• Your muscle will feel sore or will hurt
• Put an ice bag on the muscle
• Keep it on for 15 minutes every hour
• Put a towel between the ice and your skin
• You should rest
• Call a doctor if it keeps hurting

If you get a cut or scrape:

• Clean it with soap and warm water
• Put on a bandage
• Call a doctor if it keeps hurting
• Rest before exercising more

If you fall and hurt yourself:

• Tell someone how you feel
• Did you break a bone?
• Did you bump or hurt your head?
• Do you need first aid?
• Do you need emergency care?
• If you need emergency care, call 9-1-1

Review the “Exercise Safety Checklist.”

The checklist will remind you about:

• What to do before you exercise
• What to do if you are hurt or tired while you exercise
• What to do after you exercise

You can learn more safe ways to exercise.

• Exercise and Fitness Advice for People with Disabilities
• Safe Exercise Guidelines

You can learn more about what to do if you get hurt.

• To learn about strains and sprains
• To learn about broken bones
• To learn about cuts and scrapes