Anything worth having doesn’t come easy. If you want a healthy body then you have to make a commitment and a few sacrifices, these are generic but safe risks which will yield results.
The risks I would like to get into are odd ways people perform free weights exercises, bouts of cardiovascular exercise and sauna sweat suits.

Typically controlled machines have a very low risk even if you are unfamiliar with its use. Most will just wing it with the crummy illustrations posted on the machine and will make out just fine. The real risks taken are those who try various types of free weight exercises without guidance and instruction or many times just out of stupidity or too much testosterone.

High risk exercises I have seen performed are squats, dead lifts, cleans, and bench press. Users will choose weights in which they “bite off more than they can chew” but are in denial. This usually leads to form breakdown, low back injury exposure, valsalva maneuver (aka holding your breath) and not following a safe gradual progression which causes tears and stretch marks.

Awkward grips are used on the bench press which instead of wrapping their whole hand around the entire diameter of the straight bar users omit their thumbs and I have seen worse grips. This technique is done to remove the efforts of the forearms and place it solely on the chest, triceps and shoulders. During exercise sweat builds on the hands, members chat and become unaware of their surroundings and accidentally bump into other users or equipment. If that straight bar drops on your chest, neck or face injuries most likely will be severe, the million dollar question, why take the risk? Similar injuries and counterproductive training apply to the other exercises stated above.

Cardiovascular bouts of exercise can be risky when performing them in extreme hot or cold temperatures. In the cold you must bundle up to some degree and not rely on the fact that you body will heat up as you begin to exercise. With regard to warm temperatures, exercise in the early am or late pm to avoid the sun and time of day where the temperature is at its peak. I can’t believe that people continue to wear those odd looking sauna sweat suits.

Advertisers sell the suit claiming users will “lose weight fast.” The risk is that during exercise you hinder the body’s attempt to maintain homeostasis. During exercise the body sweats to help keep it cool. The suit acts as a barrier and makes it difficult for sweat to evaporate off the skin. Most likely you will heat up and terminate your session quicker or suffer a form of heat illness. The claim of fast weight loss is only water weight which is quickly returned when you gasp for relief at the water fountain. Where’s the big reward here?

The bottom line, if it’s too good to be true it is. American’s must continue to wait for their anticipated magic pills, clothing and equipment. Patience is important, training at intensities beyond your fitness level will be more harmful than helpfull. Train hard, safe and smart!