The kids are going back to school. Time for us adults to get back to the health basics. Ask any auto mechanic about how to keep your car in tip-top condition. It all adds up to one word: maintenance. Change the oil, rotate the tires, do the other things the manufacturer recommends in the owner’s manual to keep you rolling.
The owner’s manual for your body is a little more complex, but the advice is close to the same: maintenance is the key.
So what should you do if you’ve let some things slip, maybe put on some weight, get a little flabby, can’t quit smoking? Is there a way to make things better? In a word, yes.
Here are some ways to get you started on the road to a healthy lifestyle:
- Get a physical if you haven’t had one in awhile. Recommendations for frequency of physicals depend on your age, so check with your doctor.
- Make sure your doctor does the appropriate health screenings too. For both sexes, that probably means your weight, your blood pressure, and checks for colon cancer, diabetes, and sexually transmitted diseases. Other tests, for instance prostate exams for men, breast exams for women, are gender specific. Vascular screenings may be offered through your doctor, but if not, call Life Line Screening and get them on the calendar now.
- Stop smoking. This one is a classic no-brainer, but is clearly difficult to do. Talk to your doctor about smoking cessation programs that can help you be successful this time.
- Eat healthy food, meaning more fruit and vegetables.
- Get moving! Almost all of us need some kind of regular exercise, and that does not include clicking the channels on the remote.
- Want to know the simplest way to do that? Start walking. You should buy a pedometer, one of those small gadgets that measure the number of steps you take. Aim for 10,000 steps a day, which should be on the way to keeping you fit.
- You really don’t need fancy equipment to start a regular walking program. Comfortable clothing and some walking shoes – many people wear shoes designed for running.
Many of us can spend half of our waking lives sitting, and that can cost us. A paper in the journal “Diabetes” suggests that there may be a relationship between all that time sitting and mortality, heart disease, type 2 diabetes and obesity.
So be good to yourself, go get that pedometer and those shoes, and get moving.
Back to Health Basics List:
- Schedule a complete physical
- Don’t forget to ask about vaccinations such as flu, tetanus booster, shingles
- Ask about a skin and mole check
- If you smoke, ask about smoking cessation programs
- Make sure you are ok to exercise
- Bring all medications, including herbals, with you to double-check dosage and avoid any harmful drug-drug interactions
- Walking shoes
- Pedometer
- Water bottle
- 5 Servings of Fruits and Vegetables a Day
- Schedule all important health screenings – get them on the calendar now.
- Do one new healthy thing every day.
SCHEDULE A SCREENING
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