GP exercise testing
Testing is useful to monitor and measure signs of progress with your training, whatever that means to you and your chronic conditions.
Working with your doctor.
If you have a chronic health condition, your doctor may want to conduct some exercise tests before allowing you to start an exercise program. These tests are designed to gauge the state of your underlying health condition so that a safe and effective exercise program can be designed for you.
Although we typically associate exercise as something exclusively for fit, healthy people, it is also important for those who already have a chronic illness and can in fact be an important part of treating a chronic illness such as heart disease, hypertension, or osteoporosis.
There are a number of tests a doctor may run to assess the state of your illness. If you have a heart condition, there are various testing options, including:
Exercise ECG:
An exercise ECG involves putting your heart under stress in a controlled environment. This will give the doctor an idea of what you can tolerate when you exercise.
Electrophysiological tests:
These involve feeding wires to your heart through the veins near your groin. This enables your doctor to map out the electrics of the heart.
Angiogram:
A relatively common test that involves taking a type of X-ray of dye that has been injected through a catheter. An angiogram can show how well blood is circulating through vessels, and is thus often used to detect narrow arteries or blood clots.
Blood tests.
Another big area of testing again, depending on your condition is blood tests. Blood tests are a very useful diagnostic tool, enabling a doctor to get a snap shot of your current state of health in a range of areas.
Blood is made up of several different kinds of cells, including various salts and proteins. The part that is tested is called serum, and it will show, for example, how well your immune system is fighting diseases.
Blood tests can be used to check for signs of infection, anaemia, rheumatoid arthritis, or liver diseases. If, for example, the flow of bile is blocked, the bile will back up into the liver a blood test can detect this.
In summary.
Thus for anyone with a chronic illness, testing will be essential before starting an exercise program.
