Exercising Safely in the Dark
Courtney Carter
/ Categories: WELLNESS, 2024

Exercising Safely in the Dark

Exercising outdoors is great for your mental and physical health. But as the number of daylight hours wanes, it pays to take extra precautions to keep yourself safe.

As exhilarating as exercising in the dark can be, it’s also a safety hazard. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 80% of pedestrian traffic fatalities occur at night or in low-light  conditions. 

However, with the right precautions, there’s no need to give up the joys of good workout when daylight hours are short.

1. Choose a well-lit route

Always opt for the well-lit route when exercising in the dark. While it may not be your preferred route, lighting makes you visible and increases your chance of noticing potential hazards like cracks on sidewalks or loose stones on the road. For added visibility, consider sporting a headlamp or flashlight.

2. Be seen

Reflective, brightly colored clothing makes you more visible to others when you’re out and about.  Today, runners have reflective gear options to cover them from head to toe. If you’re on a bike, invest in flashing bike lights, reflective tape, and gear to make sure you’ll be seen coming and going.

3. Head in the right direction

If you’re biking, always ride with traffic. If you’re running on walking, always go against traffic. No matter your choice of exercise, always cross at corners and crosswalks with traffic.

4. Know your route

Don’t venture on a new path for the first time in the dark. Scout out new routes in daylight so you can observe sharp turns, uneven sidewalks, hidden drives, etc.

5. Let others know your plan

If you’re heading out to exercise alone, let someone know your planned route and when you expect to be back. Always carry your ID, cellphone, and insurance card with you in case you do run into trouble.

 Alternatively, try to exercise with others. Look for local walking, running and cycling groups.

6. Know yourself and your limits

Consider shortening your outdoor workout or skipping it altogether during extreme weather conditions. Just as seasons change, workouts can too. Know that it’s okay to head home and that there are lots of options to consider from there.

7. Stay aware of your surroundings

Staying alert and aware of your surroundings is key to safety. If you exercise with headphones, keep the volume at a level at which you can hear approaching traffic, people, or barking dogs.

Finally,

8. Trust your intuition.

If something feels amiss, don’t hesitate to take proper precautions. There’s no shame in cutting your workout short or calling a friend (or even the police) if you’re feeling unsafe.

 

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OB/GYN Care in a New Age

I am a strong believer in preventive care. Our patients are healthiest and OB/GYN physicians are most successful when we see each other at least annually and as soon as concerns arise. While this hasn't always been possible throughout the pandemic, I am happy to report that it is slowly getting easier to provide and receive care in the ways we had been used to, with a few adjustments for added safety.

I am especially concerned about patients who may have delayed care. While some concerns can safely wait a short while, putting off care in other situations may worsen the condition or the outcome. I encourage both new and returning patients to call the office to discuss resuming regular care and discussing any concerns that may have come up.

Here's what you can expect, including some of the innovative ways we are meeting patients' needs safely.

When you call the office, the receptionists will schedule an appointment for you. An easy telehealth option is great for reviewing results, developing care plans, providing contraceptive and fertility counseling, and consulting about weight management. For these purposes, the receptionist will likely recommend a televisit. It is very easy to connect and so convenient; while we love seeing you in person, we have to wonder why we haven’t been using telehealth appointments all along! Complete information about telehealth visits can be found here.

As you might expect, OB/GYN care often requires a physical examination, so many of our patient visits—including those for patients needing annual exams, testing, and therapeutic appointments—are still happening in person and in the office. The receptionists are working to stagger visits to decrease the number of people in the office at any one time.

Those coming to the office in person will notice a check-in station at the entrance to the Medical Office Building. The attendant will ask you a few questions about any symptoms you have and lend you a cloth face covering to use, if you don't have one. Wearing the mask over both your mouth and nose for your entire visit is required. For your safety and theirs, you will notice that all staff are wearing masks, too, along with either goggles or a shield. Hopefully you can still tell that we are all smiling, even under our masks!

If an outpatient elective surgical procedure is a part of your care plan, your OB/GYN and other staff will walk you through the process. A few changes, including COVID-19 testing in advance and intensified monitoring after the procedure, increases patient safety.

For those expecting to deliver a baby at SVMC, we are focused on maintaining all of the wonderful things our patients have come to expect from their experiences on the Women's and Children’s unit. Caring medical staff and nurses, individualized attention, and compassionate support are all in abundant supply.

Like when coming to the office, growing families will notice the check-in at the hospital's main entrance and staff wearing protective equipment. Our visitor’s policy indicates only one support person. We recognize that this is so challenging, and we are working to provide all of the support we can to bring your birth experience safely in line with what you had hoped, right down to the cheering support squad provided by a family via video chat during a delivery I attended earlier this week.

In the case that a family has had any exposure to COVID-19, the Women's and Children’s Unit has its own negative-pressure room. Extensive infection-prevention policies—consistent across all of the medical professionals involved with care for growing families, including OB/GYNs, pediatricians, midwives, and nurses—keep moms, babies, families, and staff safe. In fact, SVMC recently got a perfect score on a rigorous survey specifically designed to judge our infection-prevention measures.

Our ongoing commitment—pandemic or no pandemic, no matter your OB/GYN need—is to work through your concerns and deliver safe, individualized, and effective care for you. We hope that new and returning patients will call on us to help them maintain or regain their health. We are open, ready, and safe to provide the care you need.

Kimberley Sampson, MD, is the medical director of OB/GYN at Southwestern Vermont Medical Center.

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