Folks engaged in fitness-based activities are generally viewed as healthier than their sedentary peers and are thought less likely to experience sudden cardiac arrest (SCA). That is why people tend to have strong emotional reactions around exercise-related SCA, obscuring the risk-mitigation effects of regular habitual exercise.
As such, personal trainers and gym owners have a duty to not only promote an active lifestyle but also to be well-equipped to respond to cases of SCA before, during and after exercise. Exercising, especially when done at extremes, tends to manifest heart disease. Studies show that 90% of sudden cardiac arrests in young athletes occur during or immediately after exercise.
In general, sudden cardiac arrests that happen outside of hospitals only have a 12% survival rate, accounting for approximaely 22,000 annual deaths in Australia. That is why it is crucial for personal trainers and gyms to have portable defibrillators or AEDs (automated external defibrillators) always on the ready.
Bystander action involving quick administration of CPR (cardiopulmonary resuscitation) within 3-5 minutes after collapse, coupled with the use of an AED, vastly increases the chance of survival for the affected individual — from 6% up to 74%.