Exercising inside your home is an appealing option if you have a tight schedule making gym workouts less feasible.  Despite its convenience, home-based exercise can lead to injury if the proper steps have not been taken to make the environment safe for physical activity. When creating your home-based exercise environment consider the following tips to increase your chances of an injury-free endeavor:

• Flooring: Consider the nature of your activity when choosing an exercise spot in your home. Engaging in aerobic dance or jumping activities on your unprotected concrete basement floor is not recommended. Concrete does not absorb shock and can lead to overuse injuries, such as tendinitis and stress fractures, if jarring activities were to be repeatedly performed on it. Buy gym mats to absorb the impact of your exercise activity.
• Ventilation: Choose a location where the air can freely circulate to prevent stuffiness. Consider cracking open a window to improve air flow during your exercise session.  Use a fan to circulate the air if a window is not present.
• Temperature: It is recommended that the indoor temperature be set in a range of 68 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit for safe exercise; however, you may find that you are more comfortable during the exercise session if the room temperature is kept around 65 degrees Fahrenheit.
• Lighting: The area of your home in which you exercise should be well lit. This will prevent accidental falls from tripping over items not seen in the dim light.
• Child-Proof Exercise Area: Treadmill burns are a common injury among children who accidentally brush up against a moving belt. If possible, install a barrier, such as a child safety gate, that separates your child from the treadmill and/or other exercise equipment with moving parts. Always unplug the treadmill or any other electric exercise machine after use.

Note: Before beginning an exercise program or increasing the intensity level of a current routine, a physician's approval should be obtained, especially for older adults and those at risk for or who currently have chronic health conditions.

     Musculoskeletal injuries can occur during exercise if you are not careful.  Common injuries include strains, sprains, and broken bones.  The risk increases when you engage in a new level of activity (intensity) to which your body is unaccustomed.  Your baseline fitness level, as well as the total amount of exercise you perform, play a role.  For instance, if you have been previously inactive or are a "weekend-only" exerciser, your risk is greater than someone who has been consistently exercising for years.  However, engaging in excessive amounts of exercise increases the likelihood of developing overuse injuries such as stress fractures.  Participation in contact forms of exercise, such as football, increases your risk as well.  In addition, switching to a mode of exercise that requires different skill and muscle involvement from your current program predisposes you to injury. 

How can you reduce your risk for exercise-related musculoskeletal injuries?

• Exercise on a regular basis to develop a solid foundation of fitness.
  
• Start and end each exercise session with a proper warm-up and cool-down, respectively (refer to my postings in the February Archives on Warming-Up and Cooling-Down).
  
• Choose activities that are appropriate for current fitness and skill level.
• Gradually increase the duration and intensity level to allow your muscles and cardiovascular system to adapt to the new activity.
  
• Engage in a variety of exercises (cross-train) to reduce overuse injuries.  For instance, alternate days of low-impact activities (bicycling) with days of high-impact activities (running).
  
• Wear appropriate exercise/protective gear for the activity such as helmets, pads, guards, goggles/eyewear, and footwear.
  
• Check to make sure sports/exercise equipment is in working order and free of broken/worn parts.
  
• Avoid exercise environments that have not been maintained or that have an uneven terrain (e.g. playing fields with holes).
  

Note:  Before beginning an exercise program or increasing the intensity level of a current routine, a physician's approval should be obtained, especially for older adults and those at risk for or who currently have chronic health conditions.

Resources:

American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons/American Association of Orthopaedic Surgeons  www.aaos.org/

2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans www.health.gov/paguidelines