< Back to Index SAFE EXERCISE It's a frightening fact, but true: the athlete and the criminal often have similar habits. While they obviously have very different reasons, criminals and outdoor exercisers both prefer secluded spots where they can have privacy, which makes walkers and joggers easy crime targets. In other words, of you exercise outside, you've got an added reason to worry about becoming a victim of crime and added reason to be extremely careful. "The needs of the athlete are often at odds with the precautions everyone should take to keep from falling prey to crime," warns Susan Kalish, executive director of the American Running and Fitness Association (AR&FA), Bethesda, MD. In fact, she adds, even one of the major benefits of regular exercise - high self esteem- can work against us if we're not careful. "Sometimes exercisers start feeling a bit too invincible and fail to take even the simplest precautionary measures, " says Kalish. "It's no use being fit and healthy if you wind up dead at the hands of an attacker." To plan your exercise schedule with a keen eye on safety, follow these recommendations made by the association: • Exercise with others whenever possible. • Know your exercise route, including the location of telephones and businesses. Avoid routes with alleys or isolated areas. • Make safety a priority by planning for it, just as you plan your training schedules. Call friends in advance to see if they can exercise with you on a certain night, or drive through a new route before trying it on foot. • Exercise at a time when your route is heavily populated. • Don't exercise near doorways. • Stay away form trails surrounded by heavy brush or dense trees, especially when the trail is not near a road. • Vary your exercise pattern, so nobody can count on your being in a certain place at a certain time. • Let a relative or friend know where you're going, and how long you'll be gone. • Carry identification and an emergency phone number, as well as a police whistle or noisemaker. < Back to Index News I Health I Wellness I Exercise I Profiles I Business I Links I Women ROCK! Product Review I To the Point I Contact I Home Created by: Art Street Design Studio. © Concerning Women Communications, Inc. all rights reserved.