Man dies from excessive exercise! 4 tips for exercising safely

I love to eat big meals but I am afraid of getting fat. How can I get rid of fat and guilt? Exercise is definitely one of the options. However, be careful, because behind the vigorous sweat-inducing exercise there is often a hidden "heartbreaking" trap! Recently, a middle-aged man in Taipei City engaged in extremely high-intensity exercise after eating large meals for several consecutive days, which caused chest tightness and discomfort. He died suddenly at home that night. In response to this, the National Health Administration provides four principles for safe exercise, so that people can exercise with peace of mind and less worries.

Eat more, move more, be happier? Man dies from over-exercise

Mr. Zhu, who is nearly 50 years old, loves delicious food and a lot of exercise. He often jokingly said in his friend group that he "eats a lot, moves a lot, and is happier." However, after attending dinner parties for several consecutive days in early July, he went to the fitness center as usual to exercise. After extremely high-intensity exercises such as running 10 kilometers on a treadmill and weight training, he developed symptoms of myocardial infarction such as shortness of breath, chest tightness, and general weakness. He did not seek emergency medical treatment at the time, but returned home to rest with his family. Unexpectedly, his condition worsened at night, and he died at home before he could go to the hospital.

Too much is as bad as too little! How to exercise to keep fit without getting hurt?

According to the 103rd year of death statistics from the Ministry of Health and Welfare, heart disease is the second leading cause of death in the country, claiming a total of 19,400 precious lives, with one person dying from heart disease every 27 minutes on average. Although medicine has long proven that exercise can help reduce the risk of death from cardiovascular disease and heart disease, excessive exercise is not good. If you sit for long periods of time and do not have regular exercise habits, strenuous exercise may increase the risk of myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death.

How can we move healthily and happily? The National Health Administration provides four principles of exercise and fitness, reminding the public to pay attention to exercise safety.

【Four principles for safe exercise】

1. Establish regular exercise habits: the frequency of exercise is better than the intensity of exercise. Especially for people who sit for a long time or are overweight, they can start with short-term physical activities, including walking, doing fitness exercises, aerobics, jogging, cycling, etc. After establishing the habit of regular exercise, they can gradually increase the activity time, frequency and intensity.

2. Don't forget to warm up before exercise: maintain physical activity 5 times (or at least 3 times) a week, 30 minutes each time. Do 5 to 10 minutes of warm-up and gentle stretching exercises before and after exercise, and move as much as possible if your physical condition allows.

3. Increase exercise intensity gradually: start with low-intensity activities (heart rate reaches 40-50% of the maximum heart rate), maintain each stage for 6 to 8 weeks or longer depending on personal physical condition, and then gradually increase to moderate intensity (heart rate reaches 50-70% of the maximum heart rate) and high-intensity exercise (heart rate reaches 70-85% of the maximum heart rate).

4. Establish an exercise pattern that suits you: Everyone's physical condition and medical history are different. Activities should be arranged according to personal conditions. Do not perform overly strenuous exercise that may cause physical injury. People with cardiovascular disease should discuss with their doctor whether an exercise plan is appropriate before starting one, and should avoid strenuous exercise that requires breath holding, such as weightlifting or lifting heavy objects.

5. Choose exercise time carefully to prevent heat damage: Temperatures that are too cold or too hot can have an impact on the cardiovascular system. During the hot summer, according to the recommendations of the American Heart Association, heart disease patients, people over 50 years old and those who are overweight should pay special attention to the damage caused by the heat to the body. They should avoid outdoor activities between noon and 3 pm. When going out, try to wear ventilated, light-colored clothing, a hat and sunglasses to avoid heat damage, and drink plenty of water.

Chest pain and shortness of breath! 2 tips to save your life: Save time + call 119 and seek medical treatment

Wang Yingwei, director of the National Health Administration, also reminded the public that if they feel chest tightness, pain, or pressure that radiates to the left shoulder, back, or chin during daily activities or exercise; or have symptoms of acute myocardial infarction such as dizziness, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, nausea and vomiting, weakness, and rapid heartbeat, they should remember the two life-saving tips of "seizing time" and "calling 119 to seek correct medical treatment," and rush to the hospital for emergency treatment, which will help save precious lives and reduce sequelae.