Most people have a healthy sense of whether they are fit and able to perform. Of course, this is already noticeable in everyday situations: Someone who gets out of breath quite early when climbing stairs should do something for their fitness just as much as someone who feels exhausted and in need of rest after a long walk instead of alert and active. If you are unclear about your physical condition, you should definitely not plunge blindly into sporting activities.
Quality Seal
A good place to start then is a sports club with well-trained coaches. By asking about the previous “sports career” and any existing physical impairments, they can clarify which type of sport is suitable and draw up an appropriate training plan. Particularly recommended are offers in sports clubs that are certified with the quality seal SPORT PRO GESUNDHEIT. This has been awarded since 2000 by the German (Olympic) Sports Association in cooperation with the German Medical Association for particularly qualified health sports (sportprogesundheit.de). Fitness studios are also well suited. With their wide range of offers, they ensure that everyone can find the right sporting activity. Many offer an initial examination to test new members’ endurance, strength and mobility. This also includes a medical risk questionnaire with body data (height, age, weight, body mass index, blood pressure and resting pulse). A quality seal SPORT PRO FITNESS (sportprofitness.de) existed for the fitness area.
What do I want to achieve and how?
Before you decide on a sporting activity, you should clarify several points for yourself:
- Do I feel fit and healthy?
- Do I need a sports medical examination (e.g. due to existing pre-existing conditions)?
- Why do I want to engage in sports, what goals do I want to achieve (strengthen endurance, build muscle, improve mobility, tighten certain regions, lose weight …)?
- How much time do I want to invest?
- Am I looking for a sport where I am flexible in terms of time or am I willing to commit to fixed training times, for example, in the club? In this context, do I want to participate in club activities and sports competitions on weekends?
- How much money am I willing to pay for my sport and equipment?
- Can I motivate myself alone or should I activate partners or friends?
Better safe than sorry – When to the (sports) doctor?
A medical examination is advised if you already have known pre-existing conditions – whether they affect the musculoskeletal system or internal organs. Generally, it is recommended before regular physical activity for people who are over 35 years old and have not exercised in a while or for people with one or more risk factors such as:
- Smoking
- Elevated cholesterol levels
- Lack of exercise
- High blood pressure
- Overweight
- Blood sugar disease (diabetes mellitus)
- Heart disease in the family
- Coagulation disorders of the blood
- Smoking in combination with the pill (in younger women).
Screening by the doctor usually includes a detailed medical history interview and physical examination. As a rule, the doctor will perform a blood pressure measurement and write an ECG. In the case of special questions, further examinations may be added, e.g. laboratory tests or an exercise ECG. The Canadian Society of Sports Medicine questionnaire is also helpful. If you answer yes to at least one of the seven questions, a medical screening is indicated.
- Has your doctor ever told you that you had problems with your heart and advised you that they should only do physical activities recommended by a doctor?
- Do you have frequent chest pain during physical activity?
- Have you had chest pain at any time in the last month, even without physical activity?
- Do you have problems with balance, suffer from dizzy spells, or faint from time to time?
- Do you have problems with your bones or joints that could be worsened by exercise?
- Has your doctor prescribed heart or blood pressure medications for you recently?
- Do you know of any other reason that might be against your physical activity?
(PAR-Q – Canadian Association of Sports Medicine)
Just not boredom
In principle, the training program should be versatile and varied. In this regard, favorably 70% of the athletic training comes from the area of endurance, 20% should be strength exercises and 10% exercises to improve mobility. Sports such as jogging, walking, cycling, swimming, cross-country skiing, inline skating and aqua fitness are particularly suitable for endurance training. However, downhill skiing, ball games (soccer, handball, tennis, squash) and sports dancing are also suitable if the intensity is high enough.
Lead an active life
Make your life more active overall: this can be little things like taking the stairs instead of the elevator, walking to the bakery instead of driving, getting off the bus at a stop too early so you have to walk the rest of the way. And a short evening walk is always a better way to fall asleep than many a long evening watching TV. If you’re an animal lover, consider getting a dog – by living with an animal companion, you’ll find your way back to a more active life all by yourself.
