Check-up or Check-out – Get a Health Care Provider’s Advice
June 30th, 2007An Article about the importance of checking with your health care provider before you start any fitness program
IMPORTANT - Before You Start a New Fitness Program
When it comes to medical care, the ability to talk to your healthcare provider openly is critical to obtaining the best overall care. It is especially important when it comes to the idea of beginning a regular fitness routine, especially if you have been led a sedentary lifestyle without any form of physical activity in years. How well you and your doctor communicate with one another will determine whether of not your relationship can become a healthy partnership. Taking an active role in your own health care makes your wellness a joint affair with your healthcare provider.
The first thing to talk to your doctor about what kind of exercise is most appropriate for you. The type of exercise that your healthcare provider will recommend will depend on whether you have any current health problems. In having the discussion with your healthcare provider, it is very important that you share with them some of your prior health issues as your healthcare provider may not be aware of all your health issues or easily found in your chart.
As a minimum precaution, you should have your pulse and blood pressure checked and it would be great to be able to take a basic stress or fitness test to help determine your current physical status. In addition, you should make a basic exercise plan and review it with your healthcare provider for potential feedback as you seek your healthcare provider’s approval for the program you have in mind.
As you begin to consider a plan, think as much about the duration and frequency as you do about the actual activity. One can do the same activity for 10 minutes or 20 minutes or do two different sessions of 10 minutes each. If you are considering walking as your exercise, the options are unlimited as you can walk some every day, you can walk longer every other day, or you can walk fast one day and more slowly another. You can also walk on flat ground or on slopes, hills that are gentle rises or steeper inclines. Discussing with your healthcare provider the desire to do a walking regime can mean different things depending on the approach used.
Finish the article, Check-up or Check-out – Get a Health Care Provider’s Advice