What about the risks of physical activity? As
you might expect, physically active adults do experience a higher rate of leisure
time and sports related injuries than those who are less active. Despite this,
those that engage in moderate intensity aerobic activity have a similar overall
injury rate when compared to the more sedentary people. It seems that the
more active individuals may have more activity related injuries, but the
nonsport and nonleisure injuries are less. The reverse is true for their more
sedentary counterparts. As the intensity level increases, so does the risk of
injuries. The risk of cardiac arrest or heart attack is low for healthy adults
at the moderate intensity levels, but it increases as the intensity level
increases especially for those who exercise infrequently. This underscores the
importance of getting a medical clearance from one’s physician before starting
any exercise program. It is recommended that, “Symptomatic persons or those
with any cardiovascular disease, diabetes, other active chronic disease, or any
medical concern, should consult a physician prior to any substantive increase
in physical activity, particularly vigorous intensity activity.” (1)

In the next post we’ll revisit the relationship between MET levels and weight loss.

For Your Health – Dr. Bob

Footnotes: 

(1) W. L. Haskell, et al. Circulation. 2007;116:1089; originally published online Aug. 1, 2007