Fitness
Fitness Corner: Exercise and our own mortality | MLTnews.com
You hear about it here and there.
A triathlete riding his bike suddenly suffers life-threatening distress. A golfer has a heart attack while golfing. A young athlete, perfectly healthy, collapses on the court. Famously, trainer Bob Harper of The Greatest Loser fame, had a massive heart attack while lifting weights and is only alive today because a doctor happened to be there to perform CPR.
These stories appear periodically in the news, or someone you know tells you about something they heard along these lines. Most often, the cause is heart-related, and generally any pre-existing heart issues were previously unknown. (Bob Harper was unaware of his genetic history of a cholesterol abnormality.)
In the last year or so, I’ve been thinking a lot more about my own potential sudden demise while working out. I mean, it could happen, right? This is a first for me. Obviously, suffering a heart-related incident is a risk of exercise of which I am well aware — in my line of work you have to assume it could happen at any time to any of your clients. I was CPR-certified for many years and kept an AED in the training facility because it is that much of a risk. There has never been an issue in all these years, for which I am so grateful!
But, until now, I’ve never worried about it for myself. It only dawned on me a few months ago that I’m now at an age where this is something that might behoove me to consider. (As an emphatic reminder, regardless of your age, if you have never worked out or done any kind of intense activity, you should always consider your heart and lung health prior to starting a workout program!)
Why is this coming up now? I think as a normal process of aging we begin to think and feel differently about our own capabilities. Yes, I’m older, and perhaps no longer can I take for granted how much more our younger bodies can handle. Also, I’m ramping up intensity in cardio after some downtime. (Peloton is a wonderful workout but it asks a lot of your cardiovascular system!) And, in this last year I have witnessed so many who have lost loved ones to illness/incidents or have been diagnosed with random serious health issues that seemed to come out of nowhere.
Anything can happen at any time, and it does.
And then there is my own significant family history of heart issues that I remined blissfully unaware of until, five years ago, when my mother found herself in the ER in India after two days of “indigestion,” which was diagnosed as myocardial infarction — one artery fully blocked. Turns out both of her brothers and her father have had heart issues; I was subsequently informed by my cousin!
Between that and my vegetarian, teetotaling, mostly organic, non-GMO-food-eating father dying of stage four colon cancer less than two months post-diagnosis, I now think a lot differently about my own mortality! It’s not that I don’t take good care of myself, I do. But so did my parents . . . .
These experiences can make you think more about what you and your body, which we all tend to take for granted, can truly handle. Perhaps this same awareness makes you take a little better care of this precious body in which you reside, the only one you’ve got.
Let’s review how you can best care for yourself while still allowing yourself a good and challenging workout.
1. Be not afraid. Exercise will always improve your overall health, wellness, quality of life and yes, longevity. There are risks of injury and death inherent in exercising, yes. But getting in your car every day also carries risk, and we still drive regularly. Work out smarter, not harder.
2. Exercise is inherently stressful, depending on your choice of programs. Biking will be harder on your body than gardening but will provide greater overall benefits. Lifting heavier weights provides greater muscle development and strength gains than lifting lighter weights. Any movement is good movement, regardless.
3. Get checked out by a medical professional prior to starting or restarting and exercise program, especially if you are sedentary or older (older means if you have any doubts at all about how you might react to challenging your body with exercise). It’s true they cannot completely rule out something happening at some point. But it provides a good foundation and some peace of mind.
4. Start with minimal intensity. Shorter duration of activity, less resistance, slower movement. Your body needs to understand you will be asking it to do more, but not so much that it puts you over the edge where it can’t keep up. There are so many benefits to exercise at any level of intensity, so err on the side of caution.
5. Know and listen to yourself. If you don’t feel right, or you feel sick, or you are having trouble catching your breath, you must listen to your body. Don’t push through, or say to yourself, “I’ll just finish this workout” or ignore the signals. When in doubt, back off.
6. Take a step back if necessary. If you’ve taken a week off, or aren’t feeling 100%, or are distracted, it’s okay to do less or lift lighter or choose a different kind of activity for that occasion. Our bodies don’t function optimally all the time, and our workouts don’t need to be the most challenging or intense every time. Your physical and mental health will thank you!
7. Find an experienced coach. This works both ways — a good coach will push you but also offer objectivity in how much you should and shouldn’t challenge yourself. We can all use perspective, guidance and support.
As a natural consequence of aging, your body simply cannot function as optimally as it used to. Even if you’re in the greatest shape, you must make concessions to being older that you didn’t have to do when you were younger. Nor can you ever go wrong at any age being aware of the inherent risks of exercise and taking action to mitigate those risks.
Few of us, including me, probably need to worry about dropping dead during a workout. But if doing so makes us care for our own health and well-being more conscientiously and carefully, then a little awareness of our own mortality can be a positive force!
— By Pritam Potts
Coach Pritam Potts is a writer and strength coach. After many years of training athletes and clients of all ages as co-owner of Edmonds-based Advanced Athlete LLC, she now lives in Dallas, Texas. She writes about health & fitness, grief & loss, love & life at www.mrsathlete.net and www.advancedathlete.com.
There’s no bad time to take a more active interest in your health, but the new year, for lots of us, feels like a fresh start. Maybe you’re planning to sign up for a 10k or finally have a go at bouldering, eat a bit better or learn to swing a kettlebell. Maybe you want to keep up with your grandkids — or just be a little bit more physically prepared for whatever life throws at you.
To help things along, Guardian Live invites you to a special event with public health expert Devi Sridhar, journalist and author Mariella Frostrup, and health and fitness columnist Joel Snape. They’ll be joining the Guardian’s Today in Focus presenter Annie Kelly to discuss simple, actionable ways to stay fit and healthy as you move through the second half of life: whether that means staying strong and mobile or stressing less and sleeping better.
To make the whole event as helpful as possible, we’d love to hear from you about what you find most challenging — or confusing — when it comes to health and exercise. What should you actually be eating, and how are you going to find the time to make it? What sort of exercise is best, and how often should you be doing it? Is Pilates worth the effort — and should we really all be drinking mugfuls of piping hot creatine?
Whether your question is about exercise, eating, or general wellness, post it below and we’ll put a selection to our panel on the night.
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Jan 6 (Reuters) – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration said on Tuesday that it will limit regulation of wearable devices and software designed to support healthy lifestyles, issuing new guidance to clarify its regulatory approach.
The guidance, along with comments from FDA Commissioner Marty Makary, adds to existing policy that classifies low-risk wellness tools, such as fitness apps and activity trackers that encourage exercise, as non-medical devices exempt from stringent regulation, provided they do not make claims related to disease diagnosis or treatment.
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“We have to promote these products and at the same time, just guard against major safety concerns,” Makary said in an interview with Fox Business about artificial intelligence software such as ChatGPT, adding that “if people are looking up a symptom on an AI-based tool, let’s have that conversation when they come in to see their doctor or do a virtual visit.”
“We want to let companies know, with very clear guidance, that if their device or software is simply providing information, they can do that without FDA regulation,” Makary told Fox Business.
“The only stipulation is if they make claims of something being medical grade … like blood pressure measurement. We don’t want people changing their medicines based on something that’s just a screening tool or an estimate of a physiologic parameter.”
The agency also sent out a broader warning to consumers about the risks posed by unauthorized devices.
Reporting by Puyaan Singh in Bengaluru; Editing by Peter Henderson and Sherry Jacob-Phillips
Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.
January is peak season for fitness sales, with major discounts on gym memberships, fitness trackers, activewear and beginner-friendly exercise equipment. No wonder — it is a perfect opportunity for retailers to clear inventory and capitalize on all those “New Year, New You” resolutions.
For an exercise novice, however, this endless sea of workout gear and gadgets can be downright overwhelming. But if that is you, do not worry! You do not need a gym’s worth of exercise equipment, a high-end Garmin watch or a professional athlete’s wardrobe to begin. Starting simple is often the most effective strategy for a long-term lifestyle change — not to mention that it is much easier on the wallet.
Here’s what to buy (and what to skip) to launch your fitness journey in strategic fashion — and save yourself some money in the process.
Anna Gora is a health writer and reviewer at Live Science, as well as a highly experienced personal trainer, nutritionist and fitness coach. Over the years, she has helped numerous exercise beginners kickstart their fitness journey, and is always on the lookout for versatile, easy-to-use fitness gear to recommend to her clients. At Live Science, Anna has written a guide to the best exercise equipment for beginners and is a significant contributor to our round-ups of the best fitness trackers, cardio machines and running shoes.
The essentials: Gear that gets you out the door
Before investing in a premium running watch or one of the best rowing machines, focus on the basics. Buying the right footwear and workout clothing is an essential first step on your fitness journey. This is not about fashion; it is about comfort and safety.
Footwear: Your most important investment
This is your non-negotiable purchase. Appropriate footwear helps you maintain good foot health, reduces the risk of injuries and boosts your overall well-being, according to a 2024 review published in the journal Applied Sciences. Choose shoes that are stable, comfortable to wear and suitable for your intended activities.
That said, do not get bogged down in premium brands and ultra-specialized shoes. Start with a quality pair of all-purpose trainers or cross-trainers. The best beginner-friendly options have a good balance of cushioning and stability for a mix of gym workouts, walking, jogging and low- to moderate-intensity aerobics. Good looks are just the cherry on top.
Workout clothing: It is all about comfort
Workout clothing should help you withstand the demands of intense exercise, not actively impede your attempts to get fit. Look for synthetic, moisture-wicking fabrics like polyester or spandex — they help regulate body temperature and prevent sweat from lingering on your skin, while cotton, for example, holds sweat and can cause chafing.
Then, focus on freedom of movement. A well-designed piece of activewear will allow for freedom of movement and not slip off or irritate your skin during intense workouts. Start with a few core pieces to build a rotation: a few tops and bottoms, several pairs of sports socks and, for women, a couple of good-quality sports bras.
Again, there is no need to invest in premium brands and highly specialized activewear; affordable lines from major retailers work perfectly fine. Comfort here is key — if you feel good, you are more likely to get moving.
The best retailers for finding deals on beginner-friendly workout clothing:
- Puma: Now up to 60% off on Puma Essentials and Puma Elevated Essentials
- Adidas: End of Year Sale with up to 60% off on shoes and activewear
- Reebok: End-of-Season Sale with up to 50% off selected styles
- CRZ Yoga: A budget alternative to Lululemon, now with up to 81% off on yoga pants, leggings, tops and jumpsuits
- Target’s All in Motion: A highly-rated line of affordable workout clothing, running shoes and exercise equipment
- Amazon’s Aurola: Soft and versatile workout tops and bottoms for under $35
The home-gym starter pack: Simple, space-savvy exercise equipment
While you may be tempted to splash out on a premium treadmill or super-smart exercise bike, hold off on the big purchases for now. You can build remarkable strength, endurance and mobility with basic, space-savvy equipment too, and at a much lower cost. A yoga mat, adjustable dumbbells and resistance bands, for example, are very beginner-friendly, offering maximum versatility with a minimal footprint.
If you are not entirely sure how to use them, look up beginner-friendly home exercise video tutorials or join an online fitness class. January fitness sales are not just about physical gear — many fitness apps and services are discounted, too, or offer free taster sessions. There is also plenty of good-quality content that is entirely free of charge.
Fitness trackers: A source of useful data and exercise advice
A well-chosen fitness tracker can provide a lot of valuable feedback and positive reinforcement in the early stages of your fitness journey. Counting your daily steps, tracking an active workout and reviewing your past activities can help you make more sense of your workouts and general progress.
Training by “feel” is hard for beginners, and continuous heart rate measurements provide objective data on your efforts. It helps you understand zones: are you in a moderate, fat-burning zone or pushing into high intensity? This ensures your easy days are genuinely promoting recovery and your hard days are truly effective.
Moreover, the goal-setting and “closing your rings” features (a visual representation of your progress towards your daily exercise goals) leverage gamification, and this in itself can be a powerful motivator. Not to mention, many fitness trackers come in handy outside of the gym or running track, too.
However, do not get swayed by the trends here. A basic Fitbit, Garmin or Apple Watch SE will track steps, heart rate, sleep, and active minutes just as well as the more advanced and expensive models. They also tend to be more beginner-friendly in terms of their user interfaces and the language they use to describe your fitness stats.
What NOT to buy (right away)
The allure of a shiny new machine is strong, but impulsive buys often become expensive clothes racks. Here are some tips on how to avoid costly mistakes as an exercise beginner.
Hold off on major equipment. Do not start by buying an expensive treadmill, elliptical, or full home-gym system. Use your foundational gear or a gym trial for one month at least. If you have consistently stuck with your routine, then research what machine would best suit the activities you have genuinely enjoyed.
Avoid over-specialization. You do not need cycling shoes until you are sure indoor cycling is your go-to sport. Similarly, you do not need Olympic weightlifting shoes for general strength training. Let your sustained interest guide niche purchases, not the other way around.
Beware of fads and “quick fix” gadgets. If a product promises insane results with minimal effort, it is likely selling a fantasy. Sustainable fitness is built on consistent effort, not electrical muscle stimulators, ab belts or dodgy supplements. Stick to the good-old healthy diet and regular workouts, and you will be primed for success in 2026.
The bottom line
The goal of your initial purchases is not to equip a pro athlete from the get-go, but to minimize barriers to exercise and help you establish healthy habits. Every item should make it easier to say “yes” to your workout and harder to make an excuse.
This New Year, invest first in the basics that support consistency. Let your proven dedication over weeks and months, not your initial January enthusiasm, guide your future investments. Your journey starts not with the fanciest gear, but with the first step taken in the right shoes.
We hope that our list will help you do just that.
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