Safely Starting an Exercise Programme

The last thing you want to do as you begin an exercise programme for health and fitness is to actually put your health at risk. Exercise does pose some health risks to various individuals. Anyone with an underlying cardiac condition, high blood pressure, diabetes (Type I or II), obesity, or other condition is strongly advised to consult with a physician prior to beginning any exercise programme. It is not a bad idea for any middle aged or older adult to do so whether they suspect they have a condition or not. Even young, apparently healthy people can have congenital conditions that might be exacerbated by exercise. Something as simple as undiagnosed exercise-induced asthma can cause significant problems.

The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) has an extensive risk classification system for beginning exercise, and a number of screening forms. Complete the ACSM's questionnaire on Preparticipation Screening below. 

 If you ticked two or more of the cardiovascular risk factors (male > 45 y, female > 55 y, you smoke, your blood pressure is greater than 140/90, you don't know your blood pressure, you take blood pressure medication, your cholesterol level is > 200 mg/dL, you don't know your cholesterol level, you have a close relative who had a heart attack before age 55 (father or brother) or age 65 (mother or sister), you are physically inactive (less than 30 min of activity on at least 3 days per week), you are more than 20 pounds overweight), then you should consult a physician before engaging in exercise.

The Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology (CSEP) also has a group of screening forms (PAR-Q or Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire forms) for the general population (PAR-Q form), for use by a physician for those patients with positive PAR-Q forms (PARmed-X), and for pregnant women (PAR-Q for pregnancy). I have zoomed in on the main questions of the PAR-Q form below:

As you can see, the main concern from both of these screening forms is cardiovascular disease risk. Anyone with known high blood pressure, high cholesterol, or any known heart concern of any sort should never initiate an exercise programme without the supervision of a physician or qualified exercise specialist.

There are, of course, other risks to beginning an exercise programme. Transient muscle pain (DOMS or delayed onset muscle soreness) is likely. Musculoskeletal injuries are possible. Extreme fatigue may be experienced in the early stages of an exercise programme. But, all of these issues are less serious than the cardiovascular risks. Clear yourself of those risk factors first, then consider starting an exercise programme.