Hyderabad: The intensity of a workout depends on the lifestyle of a person. Sedentary, moderately active and active lifestyles demand different levels of exertion in the gym.
For women, who lead a sedentary or a moderately active lifestyles, weight-lifting can be done up to 4 kg, while the ideal weight that women can lift is 5 to 7 kg. Similarly, for men in the same category, weight-lifting can be done up to 10 to 12 kg.
Dr B. Nitin Kumar, a senior orthopaedic and sports medicine expert at Yashoda Hospital, said, “A sudden increase in the workout has to be avoided. We see one case of intense workout damage ever week. Extreme exercises like cross fit are the hot pick among gym-goers. But it is not safe as many people think. Extreme workouts have potential dangers of muscle tear and fatigue.”
Teenagers and middle-aged men and women push their bodies too hard. Pain, nausea and vomiting are the results of overexertion.
Dr Sajjad Sheikh, a specialist in sports medicine, said, “If a person has been a couch potato for a decade, jumping onto extreme workout is not going to help. The training has to be gradual. There are many young executives who are travelling most of the time. They must opt for a moderate cardio exercise.”
The worst life-threatening injury to gym-goers is rhabdomyolysis. This occurs due to a breakdown of muscle tissues. The breakdown of the muscle leads to the release of myoglobin, which is a protein, into the blood stream. This can poison kidneys and lead to a kidney failure. The symptoms include muscle pains, weakness, vomiting and confusion.
Dr Rama Krishna, a neuro physiotherapist, noted, “Rhabdomyolysis can be prevented by drinking fluids before and after an intense workout. This helps dilute the urine and helps kidneys eliminate myoglobin that the muscles may have released during an intense workout.”
Dr B. Nitin Kumar added, “The load on the muscle should be increased gradually. Start with smaller weights. Repeat it till you are able to handle it comfortably. Then proceed to the next level. Moderation is pivotal for a healthy exercise routine.”
Case studies
Forty-four-yeal-old Srinivasa Raju, an MNC professional in Hyderabad, collapsed while exercising in the gym and died due to a sudden heart attack in December 2016. Srinivasa’s hectic work schedule and night shifts did not prevent him from training in the gym for hours.
As the Sankranthi festival was approaching, he beefed up his training. He was planning to visit his native place in Andhra Pradesh to enjoy sweets during the festive season. The intense training he did for two months led to serve exhaustion. But he didn’t take it seriously. While working out on the cross-trainer, he collapsed in the gym and died due to a sudden heart attack.
Love of weights
Twenty-three-year-old Qaid Sheikh loved weight-lifting. He had advanced from the moderate training level to the intense training schedule.
In July, he opted for picking 12 kg weights, which led to a shooting pain all over his body. He was rushed to the hospital where doctors advised him complete rest for one year.
Pain gain
Mary David, a 40-year-old school teacher, began training in a gym. She was on a moderate schedule for a long time. The moves on the twister exerted pressure on the abdomen and resulted in pain in uterus. She visited a hospital, where the doctor asked her to stop visiting the gym altogether.
