Earlier this month, a 22-year-old had a cardiac arrest in a Mumbai gym, in the weights section. There may be several underlying reasons why this happened, but, in order to stay safe, here are a few things to keep in mind.
Avoid working out hard the morning after a late night or if you’ve been drinking the night before.
Always eat something an hour or so before.
Smoking is a complete no, but if you are a smoker, don’t smoke before a workout.
A yearly health check is a good idea to rule out any underlying conditions.
Pick a gym where trainers have CPR-AED training, and where a personal trainer does a detailed assessment, taking into account family history. If you have multiple risk factors, like say hypertension, asthma and obesity, ask if the person has the experience to train you.
If you’ve just gone through a procedure, no matter how minor, ask your doctor what you should and shouldn’t be doing.
On a regular basis, push to 60-70% of the maximum you can do, and when you do push yourself further, do so in shorter bursts.
Look at medical websites for exercise form (like Mayo Clinic), rather than videos elsewhere.
Don’t succumb to the trainer pushing you if you feel you cannot do it; don’t compare yourself to the person at the next station.
Stop when there’s any sign of dizziness, disorientation, double vision, unusual pain.
Progression must be done sensibly and in tandem with a trainer. Ideally increase load or speed (in the case of cardio) by 10% every 18 days or so. If you’re walking on an incline, angle it so you don’t have to hold the sides or lean backwards. You should be leaning slightly forwards.
Always warm up and cool down.
Source: Nisha Varma, an American College of Sports Medicine exercise physiologist and a Reebok Master Trainer based out of Pune; Preeti Chima, a Delhi-based rehab trainer.
