Do we need a health check-up before signing for a gym membership?

As more incidences of heart attacks in gyms and from visibly fit people are coming forward, many have started questioning the way we are working out. Can you just sign up for a gym membership and start doing heavy exercises? Or is it necessary to have a health check up before undertaking a gym activity?

Before going deeper into this, we need to understand that working out has several dimensions and not just weight loss. While it is commonly associated with decrease in weight, workouts have several benefits on the human body.

On whether one should get a health check up done before joining gym, Dr.Rajiv Dang, Senior Director and HOD - Internal Medicine and Medical Director, Max Hospital Gurugram says, "The need for this comes up when someone is trying to go to an extreme form of exercising schedule including gyming and plans to take drugs or supplements which are now a days a fab to build up muscles. Those are the situations where we must know where the body is and what additions it may or may not be able to handle."

"This I say because I have seen young boys taking these products and coming to the hospital with renal dysfunction etc.," Dr Dang adds.

In the same line, Dr. Brahm Datt Pathak, Director, General Surgery, Fortis Escorts Hospital, Faridabad says definitely health check-up will inform us about the basic internal milieu of the body, guide us regarding the type and severity of exercise to be avoided or intensified as per the need of the person.

"If tests have to be done, then looking at a good cardiac and pulmonary profile including your vitals pulse, blood pressure, SPO2, blood sugar and components of other body parts like CBC, renal function and liver function can be carried out," says Dr Dang.

Giving more insights on the type of tests one needs to do before joining gym, Dr Viral Patel, Consultant Internal Medicine, Apollo Hospitals, Ahmedabad says, "we should go for basic blood investigations like Haemoglobin, lipid profile, thyroid profile, ECG, and 2D ECHO."

Dr Patel goes on and adds that, "if a person has backache or any spine-related issues they must get a screening done so that the instructor is aware of the condition and trains the person accordingly. One should let the gym instructor know about their medical conditions and whether or not they are taking medications for it."

"Some further tests may be required depending on your medical history," adds Dr Dang.

"No, working out is not only about weight loss. It is to keep the muscles and the basic torso of the body in the best possible shape and also to keep different organs like cardiac and pulmonary to be primed to be in a position to undergo the stress which may be required on an SOS basis," explains Dr Dang.

Dr Patel's view on this is quite similar too. "No, it's an added benefit. Doing any kind of exercise improves our cardiac and respiratory functions. It also improves our emotional ability, hormonal imbalances and sarcopenia (decrease in muscle mass). It helps improve age-related changes," says Dr Patel.

Workout is more about cardio- respiratory fitness , muscle toning, agility , strength , vigor , positive attitude and psychological equanimity, says Dr Pathak.

Skipping warm up and rest days is extremely lethal for the body. As much as it is important to work out, it is important to prepare the body and give it a good rest before and after a good workout.

Another bad habit is performing excessive amounts of endurance exercises ignoring your ability and of course medical condition. You need to be mindful of your limitations.

Following a trend blindly might not give you the same benefit. You need to find a workout customized for you.

Always start small.

Enjoyable ways to stay active without going to the gym