In order to be safe when doing any fitness or sports related activities, it is important to remember a number of key things to ensure that you and other people around you are safe when doing the activity. Below is some advice and information on things to remember when doing any activities.
Where to do activities
When doing any activity or sport using a ball, or racket and ball, it is important to choose somewhere which is open and safe, where there is no danger of breaking delicate property (windows, pots, etc.).
If you choose to do an activity in your garden, make sure that there are no fragile objects about and that you have an open space where you cannot run into things or cause personal injury.
If you choose to do an activity in a park or other open space, make sure that you find a large space not encroaching onto other people with the possibility of affecting others. Also, be aware of animals and not to cause injury to yourself or others while doing the activity.
When doing an activity like running or cycling, it is important to be aware of any risks associated to this, such as other people and road users. Choose safe and secure locations where you are able to be confident while doing the activity, and always think about other people to try to predict what they may do in advance, to ensure your own personal safety.
If doing an activity with a child, always ensure their safety and remain close to them so that they can remain safe at all times.
Warming up and Cooling down
When doing any type of physical activity, it is important to warm up and cool down, to ensure your own safety and ensure you protect the different parts of your body.
To warm up, it is important to build up activity slowly, either walking and building up to running and extending the movement of your arms and legs more and more as you warm up, or by doing your chosen activity but increasing the speed and range of movement more and more as you warm up.
To cool down after doing an activity, it is important to slowly wind down the activity that you are doing, gradually getting slower and reducing the movement of your arms and legs more and more as you cool down. It is also important to stretch the parts of your arms and legs that you have used, reducing the risk of them becoming sore after doing exercise.
Children doing sport
Children should be supervised by an adult (guardian) at all times when doing any sport or physical activity. There are different types of risk when doing any activity and, for the safety of every child, it is important to ensure that they are safe while doing the activity.
Other people
When doing any activities, it is important to consider other people in the area you are doing them. It is important to enjoy the activity you are doing while not stopping other people doing what they are doing, so be aware of them and ensure that everyone can do what they wish to do.