Going out for a run can be good for you. It can help you burn more calories, keep your heart healthy, reduce your stress levels and prevent a number of serious medical conditions such as osteoarthritis and cancer. In addition, it can give you the perfect opportunity to enjoy the great outdoors.
However, if you’re not careful enough, running outdoors can also increase your risk of injuries and put you in harm’s way. How do you avoid these? Here are some safety precautions that can help you stay safe during your outdoor runs.
How to Stay Safe When Running Outdoors
Choose the safest route. Stay safe by choosing the more popular, well-used routes. Avoid running in dark, secluded areas, especially if you don’t have anyone with you. If you really want to run at night, make sure you run with someone. Like the old saying goes, there’s safety in numbers.
Wear appropriate clothing. If you are running at dusk or dawn, you should always wear bright clothing, a safety vest, reflective gear and a headlamp to make sure approaching cars would see you.
Run against the flow. Going with the flow of traffic is never a good idea. It can increase your risk of encountering accidents, especially if the person behind the wheel is not paying attention or is preoccupied with something else other than his driving.
Let someone know your route. It’s always best to let someone know where you are running and when you expect to return. This way, someone will know where to look for you, in case something bad happens.
Bring your phone and proper identification. Carrying your cellphone and proper identification means being ready should the worst happen.
Always be aware of your surroundings. While some runners advocate running without music to limit distractions, you can still enjoy your music and pay attention to what’s going on around you by using earHero earphones, which allow you to listen to music while maintaining situational awareness.
The benefits of going for an outdoor run clearly outweighs the risks, especially if you follow these simple safety tips so go ahead and take your earHero earphones with you as you hit the road.
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