Turkish surgeon warns people with chronic illness against morning workouts
People with chronic conditions who work out soon after waking up can risk hypoglycemia or heart attacks, warns doctor
ISTANBUL
People suffering from chronic health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and blood pressure should avoid doing exercise first thing in the morning, according to a Turkish heart surgeon.
"For those suffering from heart disease, diabetes, and high blood pressure, sports should not be the first thing to do as soon as they wake up," said Dr. Cengiz Koksal, head of the Cardiovascular Surgery Department at Istanbul’s Bezmialem Vakif University Medical School.
The first three hours after waking up carries a risk, and people should schedule exercise with this in mind, he stressed.
People with diabetes who exercise before breakfast can trigger hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), and people with high blood pressure, heart palpitations, or heart disease who exercise too early risk triggering blot clot formation or even a heart attack, he warned.
Stressing that people with these conditions should wait before exercising, Cengiz added that slow-paced jogging or brisk walking for less than 45 minutes is a heart-friendly exercise.
*Writing by Seda Sevencan
