WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. — Two shows including the Sex and the City reboot and Billions on Showtime have had characters suffer heart attacks after working out on exercise bikes like Peloton.
This has people questioning if the practice is safe. We went straight to a cardiologist to verify if exercise bikes can cause heart attacks.
"Everyone should still exercise and be comfortable exercising. The benefits of exercise greatly outweigh the risks," Dr. John Powers, a cardiologist with Novant Health, said.
Dr. Powers said he's never had a patient come in with heart complications because of an exercise bike. He explained that exercise can cause a slight increase in heart attacks, but the risk is very low.
He said 21 per one million people who exercise have a heart attack.
"There's not a specific thing that's bad or good. I encourage people to do what they enjoy so they can do it regularly," Dr. Powers said.
He said walking is always a great option for anyone.
It's recommended to exercise 5-6 days a week for 30-45 minutes at a time.
Dr. Powers said to pay attention to your body when you're working out. Watch out for things like chest pain, shortness of breath or your heart racing.
"If you're feeling bad when you exercise, if you notice chest tightness when you exercise, you should see a doctor," Dr. Powers said.
If you're not already exercising, Dr. Powers said to start out slow and aim for high frequency, low intensity.
"The best thing you can do is take care of yourself and that's exercising regularly," Dr. Powers said.
Along with exercising, you should do the following to lower your risk of heart disease:
- keep your weight under control
- watch cholesterol
- watch blood pressure
- monitor diabetes
- quit smoking