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Before you start

It's a good idea to talk to your GP before starting any new fitness programme if you:

  • are a woman aged 55 or over, or a man aged 45 or over
  • haven’t exercised for a long time
  • are worried about your health or know any reason why you can’t exercise, such as an injury or a long-term condition
  • ever have any chest pain with physical activity
  • have had any chest pain at all in the last month
  • have a diagnosed heart condition or take drugs for your heart
  • have high blood pressure
  • ever feel dizzy, lose your balance or ‘pass out’ losing consciousness
  • have a bone or joint problem that you suspect could be made worse with an increase in activity

Your GP may advise you to do a lighter fitness programme that includes regular walking to begin with. After a while, you may be ready to start one of our running programmes for beginners.

Sources

  • When to see a physician before exercising. American College of Sports Medicine. www.acsm.org, accessed 4 January 2012

Produced by Alice Rossiter, Bupa Health Information Team, March 2012.

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Training programmes

Training programmes

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More about training programmes