Exercise: Is your heart fit for the gym, sex?
Nov 11, 2012
How often do we think about the adverse reactions after a session in the gym? Did you know that too much exercise can increase the risk of dying sooner rather than later?
How often do we think about the adverse reactions after a session in the gym? Did you know that too much exercise can increase the risk of dying sooner rather than later? Carol Kasujja explores the downside of exercising
A medical check-up is an audit that lets you know the status of your health. According to Dr. John Omagino, the director of the Heart Institute at Mulago Hospital, every person must undergo a thorough check-up, including people who are sexually active.
“This is because some people die while having sex because they do not know what kind of activities are suitable or unsuitable for their bodies.”
Regular check-ups help you know your average blood pressure and the exercises that suit you for instance, it is not advisable for someone with high blood pressure to engage in intense exercises.
High blood pressure (hypertension) increases arterial sclerosis, a disorder in which the blood vessels become narrow from fat (cholesterol). This can lead to conditions such as stroke.
However, much as too much exercise can be harmful to your health, lack of exercise, excess body fat and high levels cholesterol (which clogs to the veins and arteries) reduce the elasticity of your blood vessels.
Benefits of exercise
Omangino says it is not just adults who need to exercise. “As soon as your children can walk, they should be encouraged to run, skip and jump. For teenagers, an hour a day is needed.
Exercise at an early age promotes strong bones and muscles, reducing the risk of being overweight.
People who are in their late 60s are advised to do two-and-a-half hours of moderate activity a week, such as walking to work, skipping a rope, or riding a bicycle.
Dr. Richard Kanyerezi at rheumatologist, says this reduces the risk of loss of bone density and muscle tone, which are associated with ageing.
If your blood pressure reaches upper values of 140/160mmHg and lower values of 90/95mmHg in repeated measurements over several days, you should consult a doctor, preferably a cardiologist for critical examination, says Dr. Zina Borrinsova, a cardiologist at Mulago Hospital.
Complications of intense exercise
According to Dr. Robert Masenge, a cardiologist surgeon at Nairobi Hospital, intense exercise can rapture the nerves and arteries because of too much pressure exerted on the blood vessels.
One may also get a cardiac arrest (heart attack). You should, therefore, desist from taking up an exercise regimen simply because it is considered stylish, the cardiologist advises.
Severe hypertension, especially if your systolic (the blood pressure when the heart is contracting) is above normal, you could be having a heart blockage, or fat deposits in your arteries/veins.
Arteries are blood vessels that carry blood from the heart to the body, while veins carry blood from the capillaries to the heart.
When the arteries and veins are clogged with fat (cholesterol), it means they are narrowed, hence limiting the natural way through which blood flows freely.
Intense exercise, therefore increases the pulse rate (the rate at which the heart pumps blood), so the narrowed blood vessels get overwhelmed by the flow, resulting in a rapture of the blood vessels or cardiac arrest.
This is because the heart struggles to pump non-stop, while there is a flow-back in the blood corridors, hence a collision that subsequently causes the heart to choke and stall.
Vital checks:
Blood pressure
During each heartbeat, blood pressure varies between a maximum (systolic) and a minimum (diastolic) pressure.
A person’s blood pressure is usually expressed in terms of the systolic pressure over diastolic pressure and is measured in millimetres of mercury (mmHg), for example 140/90.
The most important value to put into consideration is the diastolic pressure. The diastolic should never go above 90mmHg and the systolic not above 140mmHg. Beyond these values you are declared hypertensive.
It is also important to note that the incidence of hypertension increases with age.
Heart check-up
Have your heart checked to determine the normal contraction and relaxation of the heart muscles and veins. A heart check-up shows the performance of the veins and arteries as blood exits and enters the heart.
When faults are discovered in the heart, you need to start medication immediately to avert further cardiac complications.
Signs of an ailing heart
General weakness of the body and limbs
Regular dizziness
Paralysis in the legs, toes, hands and fingers
An occasional rare prick in the heart.
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true‘I almost died in the gym’
Henry Tindamanyire’s story
After completing my studies at university, I got a job. I used to eat pork every day, hoping to gain more weight to please my wife who complained about my physique. I also thought this would enable me prove to my friends that I had money.
Subsequently, I gained so much weight that I wanted to lose a few kilos. My friends advised me to drink distilled alcohol to “burn the fats”.
Tindamanyire before losing weight (Left) and after (right)
I drank for two years, but I did not lose weight, so I decided to hit the gym. I would drink alcohol every evening and go to the gym thereafter. One day, while exercising, I felt dizzy and before I could call for help, I collapsed. I had difficulty breathing and my eyes were heavy.
My gym instructor rushed me to Mulago Hospital where I was diagnosed with a heart problem and told I was doing a lot of exercise yet my arteries were clogged. The doctor said too much consumption of alcohol had caused me to be dehydrated.
I did not know that my muscles needed water to regenerate after a workout. Alcohol was preventing the muscles from healing.
I was diagnosed with hypertension and advised to walk or swim and stop heavy exercises as well as lifting heavy machines. My blood pressure was 182/140mmHg; my weight 102kg and height at 4.7ft.
The length of my trousers was 37cm and my waist measured at 44cm. Ever since I stopped drinking and started eating fruits, saltless food and salads, I have cut weight to 78kg and my waistline is at 38cm.
My target is to have a waistline of 34cm, so I can have the recommended BMI. I have spent millions of shillings trying to get back in shape, the healthy way.