By Sheila Burt
The Chicago Tribune
CHICAGO — While people who work out at health clubs tend to focus on things like calorie burning, they should also look out for signs of trouble, such as dehydration and even cardiac arrest, health experts say.
The same should apply to health club workers, who must keep their eyes peeled for any signs of distress among exercisers. That’s why everyone on staff at the Palos Health & Fitness Center in Orland Park, and a number of other southwest suburban clubs, gets CPR and defibrillator training.
“You never know when and where [an incident] is going to happen,” said Michelle Adams, fitness director for the center, which has about 105 employees. “In these situations, it’s not a matter of minutes, it’s a matter of seconds that matter.”
The staff learned that on the morning of May 27, when Adams heard a “code blue” call over her walkie talkie alerting her to a patron who had fallen unconscious. A 61-year-old man had collapsed near his locker after exercising with friends.
After calling 911, Adams and two other staff members began doing CPR and shocking him with a defibrillator in hopes of returning his heart to a normal rhythm.
“I’m pumping on his chest, and all of a sudden I see his eyes roll open,” Adams recalled. “We stopped, [my colleague] Dave gave him another breath or two ... it was just amazing he came back so quickly.”
After cardiac arrest, brain damage begins to occur in four to six minutes without CPR -- which helps keep vital blood pumping to the heart and brain -- or defibrillation, according to the American Heart Association. In addition, without CPR, the survival rate drops 7 to 10 percent for every minute without medical attention, according to the association.
Because of their efforts, the man suffered no permanent damage and was revived before paramedics arrived about two minutes later, Adams said.
The Palos center, which has about 5,300 members, is affiliated with Palos Community Hospital. Because so many doctors affiliated with the hospital refer their patients to the center, Palos staffers are on alert for possible emergencies.
For instance, the facility offers to take blood pressure to ensure the patient is healthy enough to be working out, Adams said.
“I think a big thing is to listen to your body,” she said. “If something doesn’t feel right, don’t ignore it. Call your doctor.”
Even if health club patrons are working out indoors with air-conditioning, people should be more cautious when exercising in the summer, said Kristin Ehler, fitness and wellness manager for the Mokena Community Park District, which runs The Oaks Recreation and Fitness Center. This means keeping an eye out for heat-related illnesses, including heatstroke and, more commonly, dehydration.
“The thing is in the summer, even if you come inside, your body temperature could be higher when it’s over 90 degrees out,” Ehler said. Staff at Mokena also get CPR and defibrillation training, she said.
“People don’t drink enough water when working out,” Ehler said. “They ignore the signs in their body, and sometimes it gets to be too late.”
Keeping a close eye on patrons is also a priority at the H-F Racquet & Fitness Club in Homewood, where all employees are certified in CPR and defibrillation training, said manager Dave Thommes.
Ingalls Health System rents space from the club, so many of its patrons are seniors recuperating from surgeries, he said. The most common problem to watch out for is too high or too low blood pressure during exercise, he said. In addition to dehydration, other conditions to look out for include diabetic shock and general dizziness, which could be a sign of a deeper problem.
While staff members are on hand in case of an emergency, Thommes said self-monitoring is key to staying healthy and preventing cardiac arrest. “If you’re new to a program, a great thing to do before getting started is to check with your doctor first, especially if you’re a little bit older,” he said. “Say, ‘This is what I’m thinking about doing, do I have any limitations? Should I look out for anything?’”
Thommes and Adams advise listening to your body, including monitoring your heart rate and blood pressure. In addition, know the signs and symptoms of a stroke, which include tightness, pain or pressure, shortness of breath, numbness or tingling in the arm and/or leg, and cramping in the calf on one side, which could indicate a blood clot.
Finally, get trained in CPR. Adams said the American Heart Association sells an inexpensive home kit that trains families.
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