Is exercise always wise?

Recently I have been seriously ill. Now that the weather is better, I want to go to the gym again. I have always done this intensively. Can I just start again?

Sophie Terhilst

Marjon van Oers, exercise expert

In some conditions it is indeed not wise to exercise. But it is often advisable to go to the gym, whether or not in an adapted form.

To assess whether it would be good for someone to go to the gym, general guidelines have been drawn up. Physician approval for the workout is recommended when you:

have high blood pressure.
have high cholesterol.
Have signs or symptoms of an illness.
Are recovering from a serious illness or surgery.
A man is older than 40 years or a woman older than 50 years.
During pregnancy.
Have bone or joint problems that make certain movements difficult or impossible.
smokes.

Many fitness centers have a questionnaire that you fill out before you start a program. Such a questionnaire could contain the following questions:

Have you been diagnosed with heart problems in the past?
Do you feel pain (or discomfort) in your chest with physical activity?
When you are at rest, do you experience a fast, irregular heartbeat or very slow heartbeat?
Do you sometimes get dizzy, lose your balance or lose consciousness?
Have you fallen more than twice in the past few years?
Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by physical activity?
Do you have pain in your legs or buttocks when you walk?
Are you taking medication for high blood pressure or heart problems?
Do you have cuts or wounds in your feet that won’t heal?
Do you suffer from cardiovascular disease?
Have you lost weight for no apparent reason in the past six months?
Is there a reason why you shouldn’t exercise?

If you can answer ‘no’ to all of the above questions, then it is probably safe to participate in the training.

You should stop exercising immediately and see a doctor if you:

Experiencing chest pain.
Can’t breathe properly.
Having an irregular or too fast heartbeat.
Another feels pain or discomfort.

However, there are no hard and fast rules about it. Each time, consideration will have to be made: what are the benefits that can be achieved and what are the possible risks?

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