FITNESS LENDING LIBRARY HEALTHY UNCG EXERCISE SAFETY RULES & REGULATIONS

WHAT IS THE FITNESS LENDING LIBRARY? Want to exercise but don't have the time? Wish you could work out while in the office? Check out HealthyUNCG's new Fitness Lending Library! HealthyUNCG's Fitness Lending Library allows employees and departments to "check out" various fitness equipment to use while in the office. Items target flexibility, strength, and cardiovascular fitness and includes over 60 items including DVDs, yoga mats, kettle bells, free weights, heart rate monitors, etc.

POLICES & PROCEDURES  HealthyUNCG’s Fitness Lending Library is available to UNCG faculty and staff only  Individual employees may check out up to 2 items at one time. Departments may check out entire kits (cardio, flexibility, strength, dvd series, etc). Please make special arrangements to do so by contacting  All lending material may be checked out for 2 weeks and must be returned to HealthyUNCG on the assigned due date  All lending material must be returned by the due date or the borrower may be subject to be charged for the retail price of the item

DISCLAIMER  HealthyUNCG strongly recommends that you consult with your physician before beginning any exercise program  You should be in good physical condition and be able to participate in the exercise  HealthyUNCG is not a licensed medical care provider and represents that it has no expertise in diagnosing, examining, or treating medical conditions of any kind, or in determining the effect of any specific exercise on a medical condition  You should understand that when participating in any exercise or exercise program, there is the possibility of physical injury. If you engage in this exercise or exercise program, you agree that you do so at your own risk, are voluntarily participating in these activities, assume all risk of injury to yourself, and agree to release and discharge HealthyUNCG from any and all claims or causes of action, known or unknown, arising out of HealthyUNCG’s negligence

SAFETY FOR STRENGTH TRAINING  Learn the fundamental exercises correctly  Prevent injury during this particularly vulnerable time  Design a program that will encourage adherence  Beginners: practice resistance training about 2-3x/week, allowing a day of rest between workouts; it’s more important to focus on learning and executing proper exercise techniques  Proper warm-up is needed: 5-10 minutes of light cardiovascular exercise followed by gentle, moving stretches  Heavier weights need longer rest periods (e.x., 1-2 minutes of rest for lighter weights; 2-3 minutes for moderate weights and 3 + minutes for heavier weights)  It’s important, especially as one gets older, not to go to complete failure in a set as this can cause joint compression and breath holding (dizziness and nausea are not signs of a good workout and demonstrate that the workout should be stopped)

SAFETY FOR STRENGTH TRAINING CONTINUED…  Fatigue within prescribed ranges is natural; pain is not  Doing “too much too soon” can lead to overreaching — where the body becomes fatigued, one’s motivation to workout is lowered, and the potential for injury is increased  Proper technique is vital when increasing the resistance from one day to the next; if technique isn’t correct, the exercise should be stopped  Spotting is important when using weights even when working with machine exercises; many free weight exercises should never be done without a spotter  Very light or light intensity is best for older persons or previously sedentary adults starting exercise

SAFETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY  Adults should get at least 150 minutes /week of moderate-intensity exercise  minutes 5x/week of moderate-intensity exercise or minutes 3x/week of vigorous-intensity exercise  Before you start the cardio exercise, you should perform warm-up and stretching exercise to condition the muscles  These first two steps are very important and must be done during every cardio session  Warm-up and stretching will make sure that you do not damage your muscles during the exercise  If you are new to cardio exercise, or have been inactive for awhile, consult with your health care provider to make sure that cardio exercise is safe for you  If you have not been exercising, start at a slow pace and gradually increase the amount of time and the pace of your activity as you become more fit  Drink water before, during and after exercise.  Make sure you drink 8-10 glasses of water every day  Dress appropriately for the heat and cold

SAFETY FOR CARDIOVASCULAR ACTIVITY CONTINUED…  To prevent injuries, use safety equipment such as helmets for biking  If you are not sure what equipment you need, check the library or the Internet for information  Maintain a comfortable pace  You should be able to hold a conversation while walking briskly  If you do not feel natural again within 10 minutes following exercise, you are exercising too hard  If you have difficulty breathing or feel faint or weak during or after exercise, you are exercising too hard  Endurance activities should not make you breathe so hard that you can't talk and they should not cause dizziness or chest pain  If you experience dizziness, chest pain or have difficulty talking during exercise, you are working beyond your level  Slow down until you feel better, and consult with your health care provider  Gradual progression of exercise time, frequency and intensity is recommended for best adherence and least injury risk  Stretch after your activities, when your muscles are warm

SAFETY FOR FLEXIBILITY TRAINING  Tight muscles can contribute to back pain or difficulty performing simple tasks  Poor balance is known to increase the risk of falls and affect performance  Prior to flexibility training (stretching), a warm up should be performed at a low intensity for 5-10 minutes  This increases the temperature of the muscles and decreases the risk of injury  Flexibility training is best performed when the body is very warm  To stretch a muscle, it should be put in a position that produces a slight pull on the muscle but not to the point of pain  Overstretching causes muscle to contract and can cause small tears in fibers

SAFETY FOR FLEXIBILITY TRAINING CONTINUED…  With a static stretch, the position in which a slight stretch is felt, should be held seconds, and each stretch should be repeated 3-5 times on each side of the body  It should not cause pain or take the joint past the normal range  Avoid bouncing  Maintain normal breathing throughout each stretch  Focus attention on the muscle being stretched and try to limit movement in other body parts  Adults should do flexibility exercises 3 + days/week to improve range of motion  These guidelines are for the general population to increase range of motion of muscles and joints  Athletes or advanced exercisers may want to consult a personal trainer for more specific guidelines

HERE IS HOW TO CHECK OUT ITEMS

WHAT CAN HEALTHYUNCG OFFER YOU?  HealthyUNCG offers a variety of healthy resources and activities for free to UNCG employees, including:  Personal Wellness Profile  Special Programming  Health Coaching  Healthy-U  ActiveU/MindfulU