When to Stop Exercising
Exercise provides many health benefits, but it is important to know when to stop exercising. If you feel any unusual symptoms, such as difficulty breathing, joint pain, dizziness, chest pain, or an irregular heartbeat, stop exercising immediately. Although regular exercise can reduce your risk of heart attack and early death from heart disease, overexercising can also bring on a heart attack, especially in sedentary men who have one or more risk factors for heart disease. Become familiar with the warning signs of a heart attack so you recognize them if they ever occur—in yourself or in someone else. The most common warning signs of a heart attack include:
- a feeling of pressure or fullness, a squeezing sensation, or crushing pain in the center of the chest that lasts more than just a few minutes and is not relieved by rest
- chest pain that spreads to the shoulders, neck, jaw, or arms
- chest discomfort accompanied by light-headedness, fainting, sweating, nausea or vomiting, cold or clammy skin, or shortness of breath
A heart attack is a medical emergency. If you have any of these symptoms, stop exercising immediately and call 911 or your local emergency number, or go directly to the nearest hospital emergency department.
