Going in for long-distance running? Get your heart screened first

Going in for long-distance running? Get your heart screened first

FPJ BureauUpdated: Friday, May 31, 2019, 11:00 PM IST
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New Delhi : Are you in your 40s and eager to run your first half-marathon or are even contemplating entering into the 42 km heart-pounding endurance challenge? Well, hold the adrenaline rush. First, take some key tests – especially related to heart – before you hit the road with your running shoes.

In the past five years or so, feel experts, middle-aged Indians have picked up on the growing popularity of long-distance running – thanks to celebrity runners like Milind Soman – and are joining half-marathons or full races over the weekends in surging numbers.

However, a proper health screening is a must before any professional run, warn cardiologists, to rule out any underlying condition that may have serious consequences for your life. According to Dr Lekha Phatak, head (cardiology) at Nanavati Super Speciality Hospital in Mumbai, running is good for the heart but middle-age people must go for a thorough cardiac check up and begin the regimen slowly.

“Nowadays, we do not guide middle-age people to run or jog. Running is good for younger people and I personally do not advise middle-aged people for long-distance running,” she told IANS.

Anyone who has run a marathon can witness the wear and tear on his body – especially heart. “If a runner indulges in ‘chronic exercising,’ he or she needs to be extra cautious as it may have several damaging effects on the heart like irregular heartbeat, stiff heart muscles and building up of scar tissues on the heart,” cautions Dr Sanjat Chiwane, consultant cardiology from Columbia Asia Hospital in Gurgaon. It is important not to compromise on heart health while increasing endurance. “Take a professional consultation before preparing yourself for strenuous running activities. Many studies have suggested that marathons put unusual stress on the heart so one should not participate in it frequently,” adds Dr Chiwane.

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