Man, 50, dies after riding exercise bike in Central gym
Local | James Lee 6 Feb 2023A 50-year-old Swiss man died after riding an exercise bike for half an hour at a gym in Central yesterday.
At around 11am, the man was working out at the Kinwick Centre branch of PURE Fitness on Hollywood Road in Central.
He had been riding an exercise bike at the gym for around 30 minutes when he lost consciousness and fell off the machine.
His friend who was with him at the time called the police for help upon seeing him lying unconscious on the floor.
Medics arrived at the scene and determined that the man had fallen into a coma before taking him to Ruttonjee Hospital in Wan Chai for emergency treatment.
Doctors pronounced him dead at 12.42pm, with his cause of death pending an autopsy. Police are investigating whether the deceased - a Swiss man holding a Hong Kong identity card - was in a healthy physical condition when he was working out, with the case handed over to the Police Miscellaneous Enquiry Sub-unit in Central District.
Gym-goers are advised to disclose any important information regarding their health and wellness to trainers, including any medication they may be taking, as well as any illness or injury they may have, according to the gym's website.
It further states that "this information is vital to ensuring a safe and appropriate training session. Failure to do so may result in greater risk of injury of which PURE cannot assume responsibility."
The fitness chain uses Wattbikes - exercise bicycles that are equipped with heart rate and performance monitors.
In a similar case in 2018, a 61-year-old man suffering from hypertension and diabetes died 15 hours after he collapsed while running on a treadmill at a gym.
The man, Wong, was exercising on his own at fitness chain Physical's branch in Cheung Sha Wan when he lost consciousness.
Lee Yuet-man, chairman of the Hong Kong Recreation and Sports Professional General Union, said patients with chronic conditions have a higher risk of collapsing while exercising.
He said the chances of fainting rise when patients partake in dynamic exercises that involve a full range of motion incorporated with movements in the joints.
https://www.thestandard.com.hk/sect...ies-after-riding-exercise-bike-in-Central-gym
