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Bootcamp · Part 2

Stop signs and basic safety

Chapter 5 of 21

This is the one chapter where I put the jokes down. Read it properly, once. Then you can have them back.

The lie

"It's probably nothing."

The short version

  • Breathing harder, feeling warm and tired muscles are normal. Chest pain, fainting and sudden severe breathlessness are not.
  • If you have chest pain, call 999.
  • If you have a health condition or haven't been active for years, check with your GP first.

Today's rep: Tell one person you're starting Bootcamp, and where you'll be walking this week. Jump to it

The one lie that isn't funny

Most of the lies in Bootcamp cost you a walk or a weekend. This one can cost a lot more. If it's chest pain, deciding it's "probably nothing" isn't your job. That's what 999 is for. Let them decide it's nothing. They're very good at it, and they'd far rather you called.

Next: Normal, and not normalBack to the contents

Normal, and not normal

Normal when you exercise

  • Breathing faster.
  • Feeling warm and sweaty.
  • Your heart beating faster.
  • Muscles feeling tired or a bit burny.
  • Some stiffness a day or two later.

Stop straight away

  • Chest pain or tightness.
  • Feeling faint or dizzy.
  • Sudden, severe breathlessness.
  • A racing or uneven heartbeat that doesn't settle.
  • Sharp pain in a joint or muscle.
  • Pain that gets worse as you go.

Chest pain: call 999

Call 999 if you have chest pain that feels tight, heavy or like squeezing.

Especially if it spreads to your arms, neck, jaw or back, or comes with sweating, feeling sick or breathlessness. Don't drive yourself to hospital.1

If you feel unwell in a way that worries you but isn't an emergency, call NHS 111.

Mostly for women

Men, this one's about periods, so you can skip ahead.

Breathless and wiped out, with heavy periods

If you're unusually tired, short of breath, or your heart is pounding at things that used to be easy, and your periods are heavy, it could be iron deficiency anaemia. Heavy periods are one of the most common causes.2 It's easy to test for with a blood test, and easy to treat, so see your GP rather than training through it.

Next: Before you startBack to the contents

Before you start

If you have a heart condition, high blood pressure, diabetes, a joint problem, or haven't been active for a long time, have a word with your GP before you start.3 If you're pregnant or have recently had a baby, read chapter 9 first. That isn't a reason not to start. It's a reason to start right. Gyms use a short health form called the PAR-Q for the same reason. Here's what it asks and why.

Next: Living with a health conditionBack to the contents

Living with a health condition

Exercise is for everyone, and that includes you. What it looks like for you is a conversation with your GP, physio or specialist, not a website. Here are some questions worth taking with you:

  • What's safe for me? Is there anything I should avoid, or be careful with?
  • When should I stop? Are there warning signs that mean I should stop and get help?
  • Does my medication matter? Does anything I take affect exercise, for example my heart rate?
  • How should I build up? How much, how often, and how quickly?
  • Is there local help? Is there an exercise referral scheme or specialist service near me?

Always tell a trainer about any condition, even if it feels unrelated. Useful places: We Are Undefeatable, for getting active with a long-term health condition, and Activity Alliance, for disabled people and activity.

Next: Staying safe outsideBack to the contents

Staying safe outside

  • Be seen. In poor light, wear something bright or fluorescent. In the dark, wear something reflective.4
  • No pavement? Walk on the right-hand side of the road, facing the traffic.4
  • Tell someone your route and roughly when you'll be back.
  • Take your phone, charged. Not on 4 per cent.
  • Comfortable, supportive shoes that are already broken in.5
  • Check the weather. If it's very hot, slow down, find shade and drink. If it's icy, do the home session instead.

Next: Staying safe at homeBack to the contents

Staying safe at home

  • Clear the floor. Rugs slide and toys are weapons.
  • Use a sturdy chair pushed against a wall. Never one with wheels.
  • Leave an hour or so after a big meal before you train.
  • Keep water nearby.

Back to the contents

Your rep for this chapter

Tell one person you're starting Bootcamp, and where you'll be walking this week. That's the rep. The jokes come back next chapter, I promise.

Your browser forgets. Your photos don't. Save it, and the rep turns up in your camera roll at 7am when you're looking for something else.

All 21 chapters of Bootcamp

Sources

1. NHS. Heart attack.

2. NHS. Iron deficiency anaemia.

3. NHS. Exercise.

4. GOV.UK. The Highway Code: rules for pedestrians (rules 1 to 35).

5. NHS. Walking for health.