In yet another shocking case of an actor falling during a workout, actor Siddhant Veer Sooryavanshi passed away on Friday at the age of 46 after fainting in the gym. Starting his career as a model, Siddhant was a popular face on TV and was seen in shows like ‘Kusum’, ‘Kasauti Zindagi Ki’, ‘Waaris’ and ‘Suryaputra Karna’. Siddhant’s death adds to the troubling list of celebs who – seemingly fit and active – passed away at a young age. Earlier this year, comedian Raju Srivastava also fell on the treadmill at the gym and passed away after being in the hospital for several weeks. In 2021, Southern superstar Puneet Rajkumar, 46, also died following a cardiac arrest during a workout at the gym.
As in the past, this once again raised the question – how much exercise is too much. How do we make sure we’re not over exerting ourselves and what is the actual parameter of fit? While more details about the theory’s death are awaited, let’s take a general look at what doctors say about workouts and heart health.
Do’s and Don’ts for Heart Health
So how are ‘fit’ young stars falling prey to heart ailments? Speaking to us earlier, Dr. Viveka Kumar, Principal Director and Head, Cath Labs, Max Super Specialty Hospital, Saket said, “We must understand that there is a difference between being fit and being healthy. Healthy does not just mean physical fitness. But mental fitness too – keeping stress under control, a decent lifestyle and getting enough sleep are all very important.”
What precautions should be taken to avoid heart attack
Here are Dr Viveka’s suggestions:
Not everyone who looks fit is healthy. Physical fitness should be combined with mental health, adequate sleep.
Smoking is harmful to the heart. So is tobacco consumption in any form.
-Exercise is necessary. Must walk more than 10,000 steps in 24 hours.
– Again, over-exercising is bad. If you are walking continuously for more than 30,000 steps daily then it can be harmful. Exercise regularly, but in moderation.
If you are walking less than 5,000 steps a day, you are leading a sedentary lifestyle and are at the same risk of heart diseases as a smoker even if you are not a smoker.
Sleeping less than 6 hours and more than 10 hours regularly, both are injurious to health.
– Avoid excessive sugar and salt as they will cause/ aggravate diabetes and high blood pressure, which are directly linked to heart health.
exercising properly
While a sedentary lifestyle is bad for health, so is over-exercising. Manish Hinduja, Consultant-Cardio Thoracic and Vascular Surgery, Fortis Hospital, Mulund, told us, “If you over-exercise in the gym, it causes a sudden increase in the workload of the heart and in weak patients, it can lead to heart failure. Lead the issues related to.”
Dr. Hinduja gives us these tips to keep in mind when exercising:
1) Treadmill: Start slowly, walking or running slowly for the first 5 minutes. Take alternating periods of slow and fast running. The inclination of the treadmill should be minimal and running fast is not advisable. For beginners, you should only gradually increase the speed and duration of the exercise.
2) weight training: Start with low weight. Increase the frequency and then increase the weight.
3) Monitor your heart rate while you gym: Your heart rate should be less than 70% of your maximum heart rate (ie 220 – your age). Ideally, your heart rate should not exceed 140/150 per minute when you exercise.
4) Check Symptoms: Some people sweat a lot. Sweating alone is not a problem, but heaviness in the chest, pain in the jaw and pain in the left arm accompanied by sweating are all symptoms of heart disease. Get medical checkup done as soon as possible.
5) Other exercises: After 45, if you are not into gyming, you can do brisk walking, aerobics, play outdoor sports or dance for 30-40 minutes.
Routine Heart Checkup: Do These Tests
For those who have a family history of heart disease, Dr. Hinduja suggests that they should start regular medical check-ups from the age of 35. “People who don’t have a family history of heart problems can start at 50. Every five years, there should be regular heart check-ups. After 60, there should be a regular health check-up every 2-3 years. Routine. Health checkups include ECG and 2D echo. The best test to detect blockage in arteries is coronary angiography; and for valve related issues, it is 2D echo.”