Health & Well-Being

You go to the gym to get fit. Not to leave in an ambulance. So here’s how to handle some potential problems that may occur during your workout, courtesy of The Worst-Case Scenario Survival Handbook: Life:

• Problem #1: You drop a dumbbell on your toes. Remove the dumbbell from your foot, then carefully remove your shoe and sock. Next, try moving your toes. If you feel any kind of sharp pain, one – or more – of them could be broken. So sit down immediately to take your weight off the leg. Then, ice the injured toe – or toes – for 15 minutes, surround them with cotton balls, and tape them to an adjacent toe. You can ask someone working at the gym to help you. When your toes are taped up, walk slowly and carefully, and get to the doctor.
• The next gym situation: You start to feel dizzy on a machine. Stop the machine – and your workout – immediately. Then, breathe deeply and exhale slowly until the dizziness passes, and drink a cup of cool water. Get help from someone working at the gym if you need it. If you’re lying down, don’t sit up too quickly – which may make lightheadedness worse. DON’T drive home if you feel dizzy or sick – have someone pick you up, and call your doctor if you think something’s wrong.
• One more problem that could occur at the gym: You get lost in the steam room. Here’s one solution: If you’re wearing glasses, remove them. Then, hold your hand out in front of you, and walk until you touch a wall. Walk SLOWLY – you don’t want to trip over anything, or anyone. Once you’ve located a wall, maintain contact with it, and follow it around the room until you reach the door and call out to other occupants to avoid a collision. If anyone answers, you might just want to ask “Where’s the door?”