Here's Why Staying Safe Is the Key to Staying Healthy

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(Photo : Image by Peggy und Marco Lachmann-Anke from Pixabay )

There is a big difference between healthy and safe. One might imagine that the vast majority of people who do extreme sports are healthy. But few would argue that they are safe when hanging off the side of a mountain for no better reason than that it is there. Only the healthiest people are allowed to join the military. You can't even be in the military band without passing the physical. But when the bullets are flying and the only thing standing between life and death is your training, you are not safe by any definition.

We don't have to look to the extremes to understand the truth of the main point. So many of us focus on health to the exclusion of our safety. We do this in every aspect of our lives, even those about which we hardly consider. We seldom think about safety when we enter relationships. But emotional safety is a necessary part of emotional health. We try to eat healthy foods. But how clean is the kitchen in that restaurant you frequent? It is fun to go for a nighttime jog. But how safe is the neighborhood? You cannot just assume safety when confronting health. Here are a few examples of where safety should be a bigger consideration.

Safe Shoes

We understand that the humble work shoe can be stylish without it being unhealthy. You already know about things like arch support and proper fit. There is also a matter of styles that work with rather than against the shape of your feet. Be careful with pointy shoes. Your feet aren't pointy.

That is just about health. When it comes to safety, you need to have slip resistant work shoes. The arch support in your work shoes will not make a difference if you slip and break your leg. If you don't have insurance, that is a lot of time off work without pay.

Slips and falls are not fun even without an injury. It is so common that many industries universally require you to wear shoes that are slip resistant. If you show up wearing anything less, they will send you home. This type of shoe is not an option but a requirement for certain types of jobs. If you ever have to walk in the rain and snow, you should consider it a necessity regardless of what you do for work. Be sure to wear safe work shoes and not just healthy ones.

Safe Doctor Visits

You don't want to be unsafe while you are tending to your health. Many doctors are recommending telehealth visits instead of coming into the office. In many places, this became the norm for nonessential visits. Much of the visit is about having a productive conversation with a medical professional. Those conversations can be held over the phone.

If you need to show the doctor a bump, bruise, or bite, then our smartphones have a high enough resolution so that the doctor can get a pretty good look remotely. For most of what they see, the prescription will be the same. For other things, they will send you to a lab for analysis they wouldn't have been able to do at the office anyway. If you are not sick but are getting a health checkup, the last thing you want to do is get sick while in a waiting room full of sick people. Do a telehealth visit when possible.

Safe Workouts

It does little good to work out for better health if you are unsafe while doing it. You have to practice safety with your workout routine. One of the keys to a safe workout is to exercise in moderation. You should work until you are slightly out of breath, but still able to speak just fine. When you are pushing to the point of being dizzy and near fainting, you have pushed it too far. You also need to get it out of your head that exercise has to be painful to be productive. That is simply not true, if you are routinely working out to the point of pain, your workout will most likely lead to injury rather than to better health.

Health is important, but so is safety. You don't have to compromise one to accommodate the other. Instead, do both by wearing safe work shoes, doing remote doctor visits when possible, and performing safe workouts.