Fitness is a goal that we all aspire to, regardless of our age, gender and general health. Most people have their own exercise regime that suits their life-style, available time, preferences etc and they try to keep to a fitness routine.

Joining a gym can be one way of ensuring that you get regular exercise at a fixed time. It also gives you a variety of routines that helps to work out different parts of the body. This is also a great way of ensuring that you don’t get bored. It’s crucial to consult your doctor before joining any exercise program. You will have to explain the kind of exercise regimen you plan to select and check whether this is in sync with your own health status.

However, gyms can also be places where you can hurt yourself unless proper care is taken. Slip and fall accidents are common-place if the gym is not properly maintained and care is not taken to ensure the safety of all visitors.

Visit a doctor immediately and contact a Sudbury personal injury lawyer as soon as possible. Accidents are caused because of someone’s fault or negligence. Injured victims and their families have to endure the devastating physical, financial and emotional consequences that follow such a mishap.

An experienced personal injury lawyer who has handled similar cases before can evaluate your case and advise you on claiming compensation from those whose responsibility it was to ensure that their premises were kept safe.

Check The Facilities Before Joining

Before you join a gym, keep a few safety tips in mind to avoid hurting yourself.

Apart from the usual considerations of location, hygiene, ownership, facilities, hours, equipment, cost, personalized trainer services, etc, it’s important to focus on safety.

• Get recommendations from trustworthy sources: family-members, friends, co-workers, your doctor, neighbors etc
• Determine your fitness goals: Do you want to lose weight, get fit, stay flexible, develop stamina or strength, etc?
• Short-list a few gyms based on your research
• Visit each one personally and do a walk-through tour
• While visiting, focus on equipment, amenities and common areas
• Check whether the equipment is well-maintained and clean
• Amenities and common areas should be fresh, clean, hygienic and safe
• Watch for signs of rot or rust in the equipment, floor, doors and windows, panels, ceiling etc: They can indicate structural risks
• Pay more attention to the wet areas like locker-rooms, sauna, pool, hot-tub, etc. These areas should be kept dry and there should be attendants on hand to keep the place neat and free of wetness, slipperiness, liquid-spills, clutter, debris, loose-cables/wires etc
• Ensure that areas that are being cleaned have enough signage to indicate “Wet Floor”
• Check that the entire gym is well-lit and the entrances and exits are safe
• Most gyms make you sign a “waiver of liability” contract. Ensure that you check with your lawyer before you sign.

As they say, an ounce of prevention is better than a pound of cure. However, if you’re injured in a slip and fall accident in the gym, contact an experienced Sudbury personal injury lawyer immediately.