Daily run – safety tips for a good workout

Bydaniela

good workout, panic app

Daily run – safety tips for a good workout

The daily run, either during the day or at night after work hours is a great way to keep fit, train your body and shake off the sedentary lifestyles we all seem to be swamped with. But running as a daily routine can sometimes prove dangerous. You can slip and fall or  you can strain a muscle and need help getting home or at the ER.

Some people were actually attacked and mugged while they were jogging. So, there is no joke when expert athletes tell us we need to take some safety measures even when we run around our own neighborhood. Let’s see a few safety tips to turn your daily run into a satisfactory experience while avoiding any unnecessary dangers.

1. Try to run with a partner how often you can. Besides the fact that there is safety in numbers, in case you get injured or something happens to you, your friend can safely take you home or call an ambulance.
2. Change your route once in a while. You never know who is watching and if you keep going on the same route over and over again, some perpetrators might get the idea of attacking you. Besides changing the route, you can also alternate your running schedules so potential perpetrators can’t follow you and take you by surprise.
3. While everybody loves jogging while listening to music, make sure you only wear one ear-bud and the music volume is low. This is a mandatory safety tip because you need to hear traffic, people moving all around you, cyclists and potential perpetrators. You need to hear trouble approaching, so it’s better to have at least one ear paying attention to the surroundings.
4. Always carry a phone that has its pass-code off or is in a “medical ID” mode. In case you are involved in an accident, passersby and rescuers need to quickly access your phone to call your family. Moreover, as an extra safety tip, get a Red Panic Button app installed on your smartphone. In case you get injured, lost or get into some trouble, you can discretely push the Panic App on your phone’s screen and let your emergency contacts know exactly where you are. The Panic Button sends your contacts a message containing a distress call and your GPS coordinates, thus making search and rescue a lot faster and more efficient.
5. Try to run in populated and well lit areas. As we said, there is safety in numbers and if something bad happens you need to get as much help as you can. If there are people and activities around, you can get the assistance you need, be it a glass of water, a pharmacy to treat a wound or a shop where you can find rescue in case of an attack attempt.
6. Use special running gear and never be negligent with your belongings. If you run at night, wear reflective vest and headlamp. Always run with a safety pouch that keeps money and ID safe and hard to be grabbed by a mugger.

One of the most important safety tips is to always listen to your instincts. If you hear something or see something out of place along your running route, turn around or switch the route to reach a more busy and safer area of the neighborhood.