Archbold Medical Center| Archives Magazine | Spring 2019

22 ARCHBOLD MEDICAL CENTER Between New Year’s resolutions and people trying to meet beach body goals, gyms stay busy. Several gyms and health clubs now offer fun and interactive exercises, such as whole-body work- outs, cross-functional training, CrossFit, high-intensity interval training and spinning. These classes and workouts have the ability to push people to the next exercise level and help them meet their goals. But how much exercise is too much? “The most important thing to listen to while you exercise is your body,” said Clark Connell, MD, emergency medi- cine physician at Archbold Memorial Hospital. “Your body will tell you when.” Signs of serious trouble While soreness is common during exercise, extreme muscle pain and weakness accompanied by dark-colored urine are signs of some- thing more serious. Rhabdomyolysis, or rhabdo, is a condition that occurs when muscle cells burst and leak their contents into the bloodstream. Besides weakness, muscle soreness, and dark or brown urine, people may experience abdominal pain, nausea or vomiting, rapid heart rate, dehydration, and fever. The condition can be severe enough to cause kidney injury. “Fortunately, for most people who have rhabdo, they do not get sick enough to require hospitalization,” said Dr. Connell. “However, if you experience intense pain and fatigue after a workout, it’s best to set up an appointment with your doctor.” Doctors can diagnose rhabdo with a quick urine test. If treatment is required, it usually includes intravenous fluids in the hospital to help maintain urine production and prevent kidney failure. Patients can expect a full recovery with prompt treatment. Stay safe while working out To offset the risk of rhabdo, drink plenty of water before, during and after workouts. Be smart and take new workout options slowly. also been shown to decrease side effects from medications related to breast cancer treatment,” said May. “These side effects include joint stiffness and bone pain.” PEOPLE WITH HEART DISEASE Heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women. However, regular physical activity can decrease complications from heart disease. Many research studies over the years have demonstrated the benefit of exercise in helping people avoid heart disease or keep heart disease from get- ting worse. “Appropriate exercise can delay the development of heart disease and is extremely important for the treatment of known and chronic heart conditions,” said Robert Miles, MD, cardiologist at Archbold Memorial Hospital. “There are also studies that show a mortality benefit with supervised cardiac exercise programs for some patients.” However, Dr. Miles does warn that it is possible to do the wrong type of exer- cise or too much exercise. Patients with heart disease should consult a physician to determine the best type of exercise and formulate a plan. “It is always a good idea to consult your doctor before beginning an exer- cise journey,” said Dr. Miles. Check with your primary care physician before starting an exercise program. If you don’t have a primary care doctor, visit www.archbold.org/providers . —Continued from page 21 Robert Miles, MD Cardiologist How much exercise is too much exercise? Exercise Clark Connell, MD Emergency Medicine Physician