After a tragedy, looking for life-enhancing lessons and making positive life changes give meaning to a seemingly senseless event. So what can we learn from the accidental death of Dave Goldberg, who suffered fatal head trauma and hemorrhaging while exercising on a treadmill?
We can learn about steps we can take to decrease the risk of injury or death while performing health-promoting exercise on equipment. For example, we can review some the the risks of treadmill workouts, as outlined in the Boston Globe piece.
I, for one, will be more mindful and take greater precautions from now on. And I'll follow a new rule when traveling: Don't exercise alone. If nobody else is in the gym, I'll skip the workout.
My making these changes honors Mr. Goldberg's memory, even though nobody will know but you and me.
Humor can be instrumental in helping begin the healing after tragedy. But humor has the power to hurt if poorly timed or disrespectful of the lessons that give meaning to that tragedy. In the wake of Mr. Goldberg's death, some bloggers and tweeters insulted the memory of Mr. Goldberg by joking about the virtues of not exercising. Poor timing. Wrong message.
As Healthy Survivors, keep exercising. And now, create meaning in tragedy by renewing your commitment to comply with safety measures at all times.
Legacies are shaped by the people left behind. May Mr. Goldberg's memory be a blessing in our lives.
This tragedy reminded me to always use the emergency stop clip, that stops the belt on the treadmill if you start to fall or move slower than the belt.
Posted by: Finn | May 06, 2015 at 12:53 PM
Thanks, Finn. Your comment pushed me to add this to my list of new habits. With hope, Wendy
Posted by: Wendy S. Harpham, M.D. | May 06, 2015 at 05:08 PM
What a great reminder of how to stay safe when exercising, whether at home or at the gym. The rules for swimming are the same: never swim alone.
Posted by: Jan Hasak | May 07, 2015 at 05:17 PM