Most everyone has seen the warning on most fitness equipment and exercise videos: 

Warning: Everyone, especially pregnant women, should consult a physician before beginning an exercise program.  NOT all exercise plans are suitable for everyone.  Please discontinue any exercise that causes you pain or severe discomfort and consult a medical expert.  The instruction and advice presented are in no way intended as a substitute for medical counseling.

Quite ominous and is this good advice for the potential exerciser?  For some, yes it is.  For others, is it really overstated?  Is this enough to stop those who should be starting an exercise program?  According to Stephanie Harris, MD, a physician and associated with the American Council on Exercise, “There is a very wide category of people who don’t need to see their doctors before starting an exercise program.”  So what are the parameters of who can start to exercise safely without a physicians’ nod of approval and who really needs to see their doc first.

In a retrospective survey done by the YMCA, the incident of having a death associated with exercise is one for every 2.9 million hours of exercise.  Generally, the warning on most exercise machines and videos tend to be an impediment or roadblock to those who truly need to start exercising.  These warnings can develop fears about exercise and can even add to time constraints because now you need an appointment to see your doc.  The lack of time is already a barrier for would be exercisers and many people do not need to feel more anxiety regarding exercise.

According to the American College of Sports Medicine(ACSM), the basic guidelines for starting an exercise program are:  if you are a man over the age of 45 or a woman over the age of 55 who hasn’t been exercising regularly, it’s a good idea to get a doctor’s approval prior to starting a moderate-to-vigorous exercise program.   The distinction is exercise intensity.  Generally, it is safe to start a mild exercise program, such as, walking, light weight training or appropriate stretching, if there are no joint limitations, such as, arthritis or previous injuries,  even if you fall into these age brackets.  If you are otherwise healthy and don’t have any known medical conditions or red flags in your family history, then in most cases it is safe to start moderately and can work up to a more challenging level. If your are hypertensive (high blood pressure), diabetic or on medications that may affect heart rate or blood pressure, it is best to consult your physician.    Many people are not familiar with potential “red flags,” the Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q) can be useful.  The PAR-Q is a self-administrated survey developed by the Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology.  It asks would-be exercisers a list of health-related questions, and depending of the answers, provides a list of recommendations.  A sample of Par-Q will be provided at the end of this article.

If you have answered the questions to the PAR-Q and are ready to start exercising moderately, a walking program is the safest way to start.  It requires minimal equipment – a good pair of sneakers, preferably running shoes – and lots of motivation.  Walking can be done anywhere and you can increase the intensity safely as you “get in shape.”  Walking can be done in smaller segments until you develop the endurance to walk for longer periods of time.  Time segments can be ten minutes, two – three times per day on most days of the week and are easy to schedule.  Before you know it – you will be doing thirty minutes at a time and increasing your fitness level safely. 

To help your start increasing your fitness level, you may want to consider consulting a trainer or a clinical exercise specialist who is familiar with health conditions.   This is especially true, if you are considering lifting weights and beginning a stretching program.  It is important to have correct form and what was an okay ten years ago may not be appropriate for low back complaints or shoulder issues currently.  It is important that you discuss your health considerations with a trainer or clinical exercise specialist (CES) and they have a thorough knowledge of the side effects and contraindications of the medications that you are taking.  It is also important that the trainer or CES have an understanding of musculoskeletal complaints and the appropriate exercises to do or avoid.

The key to an effective exercise program is safety.  It is important to enjoy yourself and feel safe in the program that you have started.  As you read that warning again on the exercise equipment, you can nod and smile because you know that you have done your homework and are safe in the exercise program you have chosen.

Sources:
American Council on Exercise, 2004.
Physical Activity Readiness Questionnaire (PAR-Q), Canadian Society for Exercise Physiology