I’m sure you’ve heard it everywhere :Cconsult a physician before beginning any exercise program. This is the standard disclaimer on fitness advice of any kind, which most of us probably ignore. But they should you? Not necessarily, it turns out.
Why are you supposed to see a doctor before working out?
The concern behind this oft-repeated statement is that there are rare cases where a person can die suddenly during exercise. When this happens, it is usually a person who (a) had some type of underlying medical problem; (b) was not used to exercising; and (c) did very intense exercise for which they were not prepared.
For a long time, there was a feeling among many medical and fitness professionals that the best way to handle the problem was to focus on the first party: people who had an underlying medical problem. And because not everyone knows if they have one, you should also see a doctor if you have one. maybe have an underlying medical problem. Or if you had a family history of a medical problem.
While it seems like a good idea, the projection got out of control. One of the most common screening tools was a questionnaire that asked about his own health, as well as his age, whether he had smoked, and whether he was overweight. A 2014 study found that would point to more than 90% of middle-aged and older adults. In other words, these are people who would not be allowed to exercise until they get medical clearance.
With the price and availability of health care in this country (not to mention the difficulties of getting an appointment, taking time off work if necessary, etc.) it’s a huge barrier for many people. Quite ironic, considering that exercise is well for your health.
The American College of Sports Medicine dug into the numbers and found that the risks they were evaluating were very common; the outcomes they were trying to prevent were very rare (one sudden cardiac death per 1.5 million vigorous workouts, in one study), and screening people for risk factors didn’t really seem to reduce the number of people who die during exercise.
How to know if you are one of the people who should really consult a doctor before exercising
Current guidelines for testing people before exercise have been changed. The American College of Sports Medicine now says that “most people can exercise without first seeing a doctor.” current guidelines—that most gyms and trainers they should be using: only use three factors to evaluate people:
- How much do you currently exercise?
- If you have signs or symptoms of certain health conditions.
- How intensely would you like to exercise?
The health conditions that activate this second point are cardiovascular, metabolic and renal diseases. If you have diabetes, it is a metabolic disease. If you’ve been told you have a heart condition, peripheral arterial disease, or cerebrovascular disease, that counts as cardiovascular disease.
Even if you have one of these health conditions, you can usually exercise if your doctor has cleared it in the last 12 months (and your condition hasn’t worsened since then), or if you already exercise regularly and just want to keep it up. level. Here is a flowchart to guide you through the question of whether you need medical clearance..
Even without a prior diagnosis, the signs and symptoms of the diseases listed above mean that you should stop exercising and consult a doctor before continuing. These include shortness of breath at rest or with mild activity; chest, arm, or jaw pain; dizziness or fainting; and others. If you’re curious about whether you’d qualify, start by taking the PAR-Q test, which are seven yes or no questions; if you answer yes to any of them, there is a slightly longer questionnaire called PAR-Q+ that gets more detailed.
Compared to previous guidelines, the proportion of people over age 40 who need medical clearance before exercising almost cut in half. And as part of the same guidelines, the visit to the doctor will probably be much easier. Specific tests are no longer recommended; what happens at that visit is up to your provider and their clinical judgment.
So yes, some people still need to see a doctor before starting an exercise program. But it is not close to everyone. Most people can start right away, and even people with medical conditions will likely be told there is Some type of exercise they can do.
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