Your Personal Safety Starts and Ends With You: 7 Tips for Exercising Safely and Confidently

We all know that physical fitness is a very important element in maintaining personal health and life balance. But sometimes we get so into “the zone” while exercising that we forget about our personal safety altogether. Awareness, prevention and intuition are the three keys to recognizing and avoiding potentially dangerous situations before they happen. Arm yourself with these seven safety tips the next time you’re out for a walk, jog, bike ride, or run:

1. Leave the headphones at home. Do you run with your favorite songs? It’s a common exercise habit, but wearing headphones cuts off one of your most valuable safety tools: your hearing. Leave your headphones at home so you can stay on top of who and what’s going on around you.
2. Bring your cell phone. I don’t want to catch up on the latest gossip, but a cell phone could be your link to “help” if you get injured (or tired, in my case) while getting your daily dose of exercise. And it becomes a wonderful weapon if you need it; Imagine your cell phone cracking down on the bridge of an attacker’s nose! Oh!
3. Run, jog or walk against traffic. If a car is approaching you and your intuition tells you to “get out of here”, turn and run in the opposite direction the car is heading. This action will create a life-saving distance between you and the hazard.
4. Change your routine. Do not do the same route every day. And, when changing your route, avoid dark, unfamiliar areas and overgrown trails. Always let a loved one know which route you are taking. Better yet, take them with you! The buddy system is always great for your personal safety, and maybe a challenge to go that extra mile!
5. Take a strong and confident “NO” stance. If someone approaches you in a threatening manner, your best line of defense is to run away. If you can’t run away, adopt the “NO” stance: arms close to your sides, elbows bent, fingers apart and pointing up, feet shoulder-width apart, one foot slightly back. This posture projects a strong, confident, nonverbal message of “Stop, I don’t want any trouble.”
6. Don’t be afraid to make noise. Yell, yell and draw attention to your situation if you fall into danger. You want everyone to look in your direction. Predators don’t expect you to fight back or react assertively; remember they are looking for an easy target.
7. Lock your house and car doors at all times. Enough talk!

Nobody expects to become a victim of a crime until it happens. Easily minimize your risk by being more mindful and taking a few simple precautions. These 7 tips could save your life. Remember, your personal security begins and ends with you!