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Comment by blix | Hacker News Reader

Please speak with a medical professional before... walking?!?

Walking is the most basic, most fundamental human physical activity. Hitting the gym deserves a lot more scrutiny.

We live in a diverse society, and HN is just as beautiful as our society in its diversity. However, there are people who absolutely shouldn't walk without consulting with their physician.

And apparently they're so infantile and stupid that they need to pay a professional to tell them if they can stand up, or take a step.

No, but maybe they have a pre-existing condition and could be in danger if they walk too much or walk uphill--and may not possibly realize it?

A friend of mine, who is obese and takes a lot of medication, and also who has recovered from COVID, started getting really lightheaded when we walked uphill about a block to our parked car.

Sounds like your friend realized it. Listening to your body and seeking out professionals if it sends negative signals is probably a better strategy than asking a doctor before any activity, unless you already know you have serious medical conditions.

I was once in a similar situation where after recovering from surgery I found I could only walk short distances before becoming lightheaded and tired. I asked a medical professional for advice. He told me to get over it. I'm lucky I didn't have to pay for this information.

Who are these people that shouldn’t walk without consulting a physician? The only people who shouldn’t walk would be those who had explicitly been told not to walk (e.g. letting a bone heal), but I imagine anyone going to their doctor to ask if they can walk would be laughed out of the room.

I've known a few people where walking was physically just too much for them. Generally very morbidly obese and there was no way they could follow the walking advice even if they wanted to.

I'm talking about people that literally had spinal fractures from standing up (pretty sad really).

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