Tips for outdoor exercise

On Sunday I went out biking with my dad. We jumped on the local trail and stayed out for about two and a half hours. It was a bit longer than my latest rides and totaled in at about 30 miles once we finished.

I wasn’t as prepared for the ride as I could have been, strength wise and equipment wise as well. My lack of preparation inspired me to put together a post on the topic. No matter what your activities are this spring, it’s important to get ready well.

The weather on my ride was a little unpredictable. I started off with a pull-over on, which gave me some options- wear the fleece pull over, don’t, or put it under my butt to keep the ride a bit more enjoyable.

My tip:
If you’re going to be out doors for an extended period of time, stock up on clothes! Check the weather report for the entire day, just in case your activity runs later. Prepare yourself for a little warmer, colder and wetter than the forecast calls for. Save your skin with sunscreen, even if temperatures aren’t souring, you can still get burned with partially cloudy skies.

Needless to say, my minimal supply of water didn’t last the difficult 2.5 hour trek. A water bottle is usually all I bring on a ride like that, which does me alright. Thankfully the sun wasn’t beating down, or else I would have guzzled my supply earlier on. I should have at least thrown an extra water bottle in the car for the ride home.

My tip:
Pack way more than you’ll need, no matter the weather. Your extra bottle could come in handy for a friend or be the water over your face you need at the end of a hot day.

Most of my ill preparations steamed from the fact that I didn’t want to carry a backpack with me. I did have a small fanny pack strapped onto my bike, which housed my cd player and cell phone in case of emergency. I should have thrown some Kleenex and a granola bar or two in there just for safe keeping.

My tip:
Buy yourself a sweet bag. Backpack, large purse or fanny pack, it doesn’t matter how silly you look with it on, as long as it gets the job done. Not all outdoor activities make it possible to tote a bag along side, but storing one near by, or keeping supplies in your car and looping back often is a good idea to keeping safe in all kinds of weather.

Also, with warm weather (here at least) approaching, check out my post from last summer on heat related injuries.

Protection from the storm: healthy helpful kits

As a weather fanatic, my brother knows about every storm that's coming towards us. And although we live in Michigan, he loves tracking the hurricane season in the summer and fall. Thankfully, we're not in the path of hurricanes, but thunderstorms, tornadoes, hail and snow can be dreadful.

"To protect yourself from bad weather, you'll need need a radio that runs on batteries so you can keep updated on the storm, lots of water (about a gallon for every day, per person for three days to keep on hand is good), make sure your pets are safe and are fed, and having a stock of canned, no need to be cooked food is a good idea. Another good idea is to plug and fill up your bathtub right when the power goes out, this clean water can be used for drinking, bathing or to flush the toilets." -my brother

The US government has a great site that gives tips on how to prepare yourself for any type of emergency. The site recommends keeping a three day supply of non-perishable food on stock at all times, which would include canned and dried foods (more can be found here).

Here is also another link to the US government page with other things to keep your family safe in dangerous situations. Keeping a waterproof box filled with other essentials like warm safety blankets, flash lights and extra batteries may not be used regularly, but will be appreciated in times of bad weather.

You may also want to consider stocking a safety kit for your car in case you get stuck in bad weather, with a first aid kit, water bottle, dry clothes or a warm blanket, and road flares.

Building a First Aid Kit

We often take safety and health for granted. The other day I was thankful for my first aid kit to help clean up some nasty blisters from painful shoes. Minor as my injuries were, it was a little more major than the band aids tucked in the back of the closet.

You never know when a medical emergency may come up for you, your family, or someone near your home. Traveling with a first aid kit in your car, as well as your home should be something we all live by, but for many, it's not. Even for smaller non-emergency issues like mine, it helps to have antibacterial cream and proper bandages on hand, which aid in a faster healing.

The US government site has a great link to building your own first aid kit, as well as information on other kits that you should keep on hand. I highly suggest taking a minute out to look at the site. Think about if you have what's suggested, and if you don't, why not? Especially with the winter season coming up, it's a good idea to check out your local state government's page, or do some research on automotive safety to make sure your trunk is stocked with warm blankets, flares, sand-bags, a first aid kit, extra food and water, or whatever you may need based on your location.

Depending on where you look, you may be able to find prepackaged first aid kids in your local stores. Think about what you carry with you daily. Generally speaking, most of us always have a cell phone on hand, but what if an emergency were to come up, would you be prepared at all? What do you keep in the trunk of your car? What items in terms of safety do you have at home and readily accessible?