What’s Your Health History? ........................................................................
When you join a gym, one of the first things you should be asked to do —
after signing your check, of course — is to fill out a health-history question-
naire. Your answers to these questions give a snapshot of your overall well-
being, including your eating and exercise habits, your risk for developing
cardiovascular disease, and any orthopedic limitations or medical conditions
that you may have. Typical questions include: Do you have any chronic joint
problems such as arthritis? Do you have a high stress level? Are you currently
taking any over-the-counter or prescription medications?If you don’t belong to a gym, ask yourself the following questions, which are
designed to indicate your risk of developing heart disease:Are you inactive?Do you have a history of heart disease?
Do you have diabetes or high blood sugar?Do you have a history of high blood pressure?
Did your mother, father, sister, or brother develop any form of
heart disease before age 50?Do you smoke cigarettes, or have you quit within the last two years?
Do you have high cholesterol — either total cholesterol higher than 200
mg/dl or HDL less than 40 mg/dl?If you answer “yes” to at least one question and you’re over age 35, see a
physician for a complete medical evaluation before you even pursue a fitness
testing session. A physician is the only one who can accurately determine
whether exercising puts you in any danger. If you answer “yes” to two or more
questions, get a checkup no matter how old you are.Some gyms request that you be tested by a physician if a staff member feels
you may have a medical problem. Don’t groan; a request like this indicates
that your gym is on the ball. Some health clubs just want your money. They
may not require any testing — other than the test that determines whether
you can sign your name on a credit-card slip. If that’s the case, you need to
take responsibility for getting tested.After you fill out your questionnaire, your tester should discuss the answers
with you and ask for more information if necessary. If you’re a smoker, for
example, he may ask you how much you smoke. Respond honestly and thor-
oughly. Don’t say that you run 5 miles a day if you haven’t broken a sweat
since high school — or if you intend to run every day but just haven’t gotten
around to it.16 Part I: Getting Your Butt off the Couch