Playing It Safe At The Gym

Americans are into fitness. Witness the 400 per cent growth in the past five years of Equinox Health Clubs across the country and their slogan sums it up in a nutshell: "It's not fitness, it's life." Still, every silver lining has a cloud, and the best intentions can be thwarted if you are unaware of how to make your gym experience a beneficial time instead of an opportunity for pain, personal injury, even serious health consequences.

Personal Training manager Dianna Scotece who not only gives lessons to clients at Equinox gyms but who helps train trainers as well, has this advice for developing a workout program that will help you remove the impediments to gym success:

• Familiarize you with the equipment and how it works. A good health club offers joiners an assessment of their fitness level and a free lesson, an opportunity to work with a trainer for education purposes. While monkey see, monkey do can teach you something, every person in an exercise space is an individual and one person is as different from another as night is from day.

• When searching for a trainer, look for someone with a personality or communication style that suits you. Most trainers who are nationally certified can handle the basics, unless you have a specific orthopedic or medical concern which you should make your trainer aware of from the start. Inform your trainer of any personal history and put your trainer in contact with a physician who will testify to any limitations you should impose on your routines.

• While many folk are studied gym rats and can easily multi-task at the workout space while flirting with the guy two rows behind at spinning class, tuning out at the gym is a mistake. When you pay attention to the TV screen or put on an IPOD and listen to your favorite tunes, you are unaware of what the machinery and what others around you are saying or doing. A flying elliptical makes a painful dent in your shin, as well as in your exercise routine, defeating the reason why you came in the first place. Catch up with the headlines or your emails at home or when you are not operating a powerful piece of equipment.

A good gym is always being wiped down to sanitize the equipment and constantly assesses the state of the equipment, tuning it up when it is not working according to basic standards. Washing your hands before exiting the premises is a wise decision. Passing germs with even the cleanest equipment is standard, and preventing disease is easy if you use a hand sanitizer or soap and water before you touch your face, friend or family.