It's rare for anyone to exercise regularly or participate in sports and never experience any kind of injury. As you know, there is the complete range of possibilities from minor pulled muscles to lethal injuries. Too many people fail to consider safety issues when engaged in sports or exercise, as they underestimate the risks involved. Every sport or activity has its own safety precautions, and you should become familiar with these. Overall, though, these concerns fall into two categories. First of all, we have to consider what can be done prior to starting the exercise or sport. The other aspect to look at is what you can do while actually playing or working out to stay safe and healthy. This article will address some of the more common concerns with sports and exercise safety.

A popular fitness adage is that doing stomach exercises is the best way to have a strong back. This is one example of conventional wisdom that actually turns out to be true. You probably want a strong and toned stomach for its own sake, but a healthier back is an added benefit to this. Athletes, however, have to be especially concerned about their stomachs. You don't have to get obsessed with "six pack abs" as it's best to just make improvements at your own pace. While many exercises will strengthen your stomach, it's a good idea to do a few that target this area and include them in your exercise program.

Good running shoes are vital to a successful running match. Your feet, ankles, knees and back can suffer if you are overzealous about your running program. The impact is transmitted all the way up your body. When purchasing new running shoes, be positive you buy the right size. If you have an unique foot issue, low arches for example, just make sure to provide your feet with the correct support. Low arches are known to result in excessive use and may cause knee damage. By the time you feel it on a chronic basis, a lot of damage is probably already present.

Lots of people, including those training for various sports, engage in weight training of one type or another. Football obviously comes to mind first, but there are others such as basketball, baseball, swimming and others. Stretching is one of the most important precautions to take when weight lifting; another is to choose a workout that's consistent with your goals or the sport you play. The idea should always be to tailor your weight training to the specific type of results you're after. A weight training workout that's designed to make you large and strong, for example, might be perfect for football but inappropriate for baseball. Stretching is very important because when your muscles grow from weight training, they will become shorter. Stretching helps you avoid many injuries by keeping all your muscle groups and tendons loose and limber. The above are some of the sports and exercise safety tips that can help you enjoy your favorite sports and other activities in the safest possible manner. No matter what activity you're participating in, warming up first and cooling down after is always a good policy.