In the UK, the third period of lockdown has forced would-be exercisers across the country to reconsider their habits. To be sure, we’re still allowed to go outside for a limited time each day for the purposes of exercise (and the health service would be facing another crisis if we didn’t).

In March of 2020, hundreds of thousands of people downloaded the NHS-backed couch-to-5k app, which sees participants work their way up to a full 5k run over the course of a few weeks. The demand for home exercise equipment has been booming over winter, with backlogs for treadmills and cross trainers stretching for weeks.

This enthusiasm for home exercise has, however, had some undesirable side effects. Among the worst is the propensity for exercisers to injure themselves.

Outdoor slips and falls

If you’re running in icy conditions, or even in non-icy conditions, then there’s a risk that you’ll slip. In some cases, there might be another person (or a vehicle) involved in the accident; instances like this, according to the National Accident Helpline, could provide grounds for a personal injury claim.

According to the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents, around 23,000 pedestrians are killed or injured as a result of road traffic accidents each year. Make sure that you’re not a statistic, and look both ways before crossing. If you’re listening to music while you’re running, then make sure that it’s kept at a low volume, so that you can still hear what’s going on around you.

Cyclists face a similar level of risk, and in a way, they’re in even greater danger, as they often find themselves sharing the road with motorists who aren’t appreciative of their company.

Visibility

During winter-time, you might find yourself forced to run at night. Avoid this if you can help it; take your exercise during daylight, and preferably in the early morning. If that’s impossible, then equip yourself with a headlamp and some high-visibility clothing

Muscular Strains

If you go straight to full effort on a cold muscle, then you might find that the muscle can’t flex as much as required. The result here is going to be a tear or a strain. Avoid this by doing a thorough warmup before you get started, and by taking stretching as seriously as you take the exercise itself. According to figures from Bupa, muscle pulls account for around a third (35%) of lockdown injuries. They’re closely followed by injuries to the knee (31%), back (26%), ankle (26% again), and neck (25%). If you happen to get any of these pains, the natural and non-pharmaceutical pain-relief balm from Releva Health can help you get rid of them. 
If you’re constructing a home gym, make sure that you don’t create any unacceptable risks. Make sure that you’ve assembled that pull-up bar properly, and that you’ve adequately secured it to the wall. Don’t attempt headstands before you’re ready!