Safety Components in Fitness
HYDRATION. Believe it or not, one of the safety components in fitness that is overlooked AS a safety component is water. Keep your body hydrated! Hydrate before, during, and after exercise. This is critical! Drink 10 oz prior to exercise and 3 to 4 oz every 20 minutes during your fitness workout. When you are recovering from your workout, drink 16 oz for every pound you lost during your workout.
PROPER FOOTWEAR. You mean MY SHOES are one of the safety components in fitness? Absolutley! Make sure you have proper safety footwear. Get the right fitness shoe for the type of exercise you are doing. I never buy shoes that must be "broken in". Your feet pay for that! Work out on resilient flooring. If you are beginning by walking, use that local high school track or other joint-friendly surface. If you are starting with some group aerobics, make sure the floor is wood with joists under it. All workout surfaces are NOT created equal. Mainly, stay away from concrete and other unforgiving surfaces for your long term workouts. Your feet and joints will thank you! 
PROGRESS SLOWLY. Always challenge yourself to the next level, but do so moderately. TAKE YOUR TIME! Life changes don't happen over night. If you have been walking 2 miles, don't suddenly decide to run 2 miles without any progression. ...you could be baking up a recipe for serious injury! Walk and run for 1/8 or 1/4 mile intervals for a couple weeks, then take that plunge to running (AFTER you warm up, of course). 
FLEXIBILITY. Poor flexibility leads to SO MANY injuries! Whether you trip, stumble, fall, or just decide to hit the gym, the flexibility component will reduce your chances of getting injured. It is SO important... ...And so often overlooked as one of the safety components in fitness. Be safe! Make sure you are pursuing a flexible body. 
PROPER FORM.
When you are exercising, make sure you have proper body mechanics. For example, when you are doing a weight bearing exercise, make sure your hip, knee and foot are facing the same direction. THINK SAFETY! Keep your knees slightly bent at all times. If you tend to lock your knees, this could lead to injury. This avoids torque, or incorrect twisting, at the knee.
When doing a stomach crunch, make sure your head is at a natural alignment with the spine, just like it is when we are sitting or standing. If you keep this in mind, you won’t tend to:
WARM UP/COOL DOWN. And last but not least, warm up for 5 to 8 minutes. Warm up and cool down are so IMPORTANT! I will harp on this one until the whole world is working out with safety as a key component to their fitness. There are too many saftey components in fitness to try to mention them all in this article. But if you will follow these guidelines, you will be a Fitness Woman safety pro in no time!
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