2 Important Warnings for Those Who Decide to Start Sports

With the approach of summer, many people turn to sports, especially to get rid of excess weight or to have a tight body. Scientific studies show that regular exercise significantly supports heart health as well as general body health. But beware! Because if you do not pay attention to some rules, you can harm your heart instead of benefiting it and even increase the risk of heart attack! Cardiology Specialist Prof. Dr. Murat Turfan gives three important warnings.

Turkey is a country at risk in terms of heart diseases. This clearly shows how important it is to do sports to protect heart health. However, ignoring some rules can lead to unwanted results, especially for people with a history of heart disease, this risk is greater. According to World Health Organization (WHO) data, 4 out of every 10 deaths in Turkey are due to heart and vascular diseases. Every year in Turkey, approximately 200 thousand people have a heart attack, and 100 thousand people have a brain hemorrhage and stroke.

Choose the right sport!

Avoid doing sports that are not suitable for your health status, age, and condition. It is important for you to choose the sport that suits you best in terms of these criteria. In addition, choosing a sport that will give you pleasure and will not make your daily life difficult will keep your motivation high. For beginners, low-intensity exercises like walking, cycling or swimming are ideal. More experienced athletes can do higher intensity exercises such as running, tennis or basketball. If you have a chronic illness, you can ask your doctor which sports are suitable for you.

Start slow!

Starting sudden and intense exercises can cause heart disease and even heart attack! Therefore, it is important to implement a program that progresses gradually. It is recommended that you do short-term and low-intensity exercises in the first weeks to allow your body to adapt to the new exercise program. Starting slowly; reduces the risk of injury, helps to maintain your motivation, gives your body time to adapt to the exercise program. You can start with 10-15 minute exercises in the first week. You can gradually increase your exercise time and intensity each week. Always listen to your body’s signals. Especially if you have complaints such as chest, muscle, headache, dizziness or shortness of breath, rest.