Exercising causes more injuries than fighting fires

Your treadmill is as dangerous as a burning building, according to a recent study.

Here at Expat Health we often stress the importance of regular exercise. Not only does it help people lose weight, but provides numerous other benefits, including improving people’s moods.

But regular exercise also has its risks. A new study of firefighters published in the journal Injury Prevention found that a third of their injuries were sustained while exercising–compared to only 10% while fighting fires.

Sprains and strains were the most common injuries, followed by cuts and bruising. 95% of all injuries were minor.

This doesn’t mean you should give up on exercising. Rather, it means to take care to follow good exercise safety practices:

• Warm up 5-10 minutes prior to exercise and cool down 5-10 minutes afterward to reduce soreness and stiffness.

• Stretch major muscle groups before and after exercise.

• Drink plenty of water before and during exercise to prevent dehydration. Doctors recommend 500 ml an hour before exercise and 150 ml every 15 minutes during.