Starting A Fitness Program? It Saved My Life
It’s fantastic that you’re considering starting a fitness program this New Year! Regular physical activity can have numerous health benefits, including weight management, improved cardiovascular health, increased energy levels, better balance, and a reduced risk of falls. Since you’ve already recognized the importance of incorporating fitness into your life, here are five steps to help you get started:
- Set Clear Goals: Define your fitness goals. Whether it’s weight loss, improved cardiovascular health, increased strength, or better balance, having specific goals will give you a sense of direction and motivation.
- Consult with a Healthcare Professional: Given your background as an emergency physician and your specific health concerns, it’s advisable to consult with a healthcare professional before starting any new fitness program. They can provide personalized advice based on your health status and any existing conditions.
- Choose Enjoyable Activities: Find physical activities that you enjoy. Whether it’s walking, swimming, cycling, dancing, or a combination of activities, doing something you love increases the likelihood of sticking with it in the long run.
- Start Gradually: Especially if you’ve been inactive for a while, it’s essential to start slowly and gradually increase the intensity and duration of your workouts. This approach helps prevent injuries and allows your body to adapt to the new routine.
- Include Strength Training and Flexibility Exercises: A well-rounded fitness program includes not only cardiovascular exercises but also strength training and flexibility exercises. Strength training helps maintain muscle mass and bone density, while flexibility exercises improve range of motion and reduce the risk of injuries.
Remember, consistency is key. Aim for regular, moderate-intensity exercise most days of the week, and don’t be too hard on yourself if you encounter setbacks. Listen to your body, stay motivated, and celebrate your progress along the way. If you have any specific questions or concerns, feel free to ask your physician, trainer or other competent fitness professional.
Physical Fitness Program Saved My Life
Over ten years ago my wife, Edith and I decide to get into an exercise program. We started with walking around the neighborhood. At start I noted after walking a short distance I had stop because I felt very weak and dizzy. After a brief period rest I felt better and would resume walking. After a few weeks the episodes of weakness got lesser and gradually were able to walk faster and farther. Later we stared weight training starting with light weights and doing few repetitions, working deferent parts of the body on alternate days. After a few months we decided to join a local gym and started out working with a trainer. Doing these as we progressively we felt to have more energy and able to enjoy doing more things with ease.
The initial challenges you faced, such as feeling short of breath, weakness, and dizzy during walks, are not uncommon when starting a new exercise routine. An increase both the speed and distance of your walks, show positive adaptation and improved fitness.
In your exercise program, the gradual increase in your energy levels and the ability to enjoy activities with greater ease are fantastic indicators of improved overall fitness. It’s not just about the physical benefits, but also the positive impact on your quality of life and daily activities.
After ten years of consistent physical fitness program, out of the blue I had an episode of sudden weakness and dizziness and I noted my pulse to irregular. irregular. My wife, Edith, called 911 and emergency paramedics took me by ambulance to a medical center emergency room. An ER physician saw me and ordered blood studies, EKG and chest x-ray. He also ordered an iv medication that immediately stopped the symptoms. He came back and told me, as what I surmise all along, that I had atrial fibrillation, the blood work that came back all normal, with no evidence of a heart attack. The physician wrote me one prescription of a blood thinner on discharge and to follow-up with my cardiologist as soon as possible.
After my cardiologist saw the studies done the emergency room. He then did a cardiac echogram and a stress test. After the cardiac echo, he said my heart muscles were in good condition. On the stress test, however, the result was not what I expected. While on the treadmill he increase the difficulty of walking while monitoring the EKG, after a while during the procedure, he was asking me if had chest pain I replied, no, but he then stopped the test and told me the EKG changes where abnormal and that I need to have a cardiac catheterization.
After the catheterization while shaking his head, he said, “I don’t really understand why you haven’t had a heart attack? Then he added,” you have four completely obstructed arteries in your heart. You must have built an alternate collateral circulation to make up for the block arteries. Most likely your exercise program made your heart adopted to the changes the circulation and helped build an alternate route of circulation.” What he was trying to say was that exercise may have saved my life. My change in lifestyle after retirement also contributed. I changed to a vegan diet, to a normal sleeping schedule and lesser stress.
Shortly after my cardiac cauterization I underwent a successful quadruple coronary artery bypass graft to correct the block coronary arteries.
19 Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; 20 you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.
I Corinthians 6:19 & 20
