By Brad Schoenfeld, Certified Personal Trainer Donna was terrified, literally shaking from anxiety. Donna had fainted several months ago during a step-aerobics class and the fear of a repeat episode had persisted whenever she attempted to perform any physical activity. She had been emotionally scarred from this frightening experience, and it would take several months before she again began to feel comfortable with exercise.
Nothing can sabotage one's motivation to work out more than an injury incurred during training.
There are thousands of exercise-related injuries that occur each year and many of them are debilitating. Yet as obvious as this may seem, many do not have adequate knowledge of proper safety precautions, creating the potential for disaster. This often leads to pushing the envelope past one's capabilities, ultimately ending in peril. Before you start a training regimen, make sure that there are no medical complications that might contraindicate your participation in an exercise program or performing specific exercises. Afflictions such as cardiac arrhythmia, hypertension, previous surgery, etc.