Should Fitness Be A Medicine?

As a fitness professional, I am very biased and have questioned this for some time now. Research has proven that exercise is the best medicine yet our society does not treat fitness with the same esteem as medicine. To some, fitness has been term complementary medicine. Is fitness really complementary or is fitness perhaps the first all natural medicine that has been proven to prevent and heal?

Additionally, I must question if we have correctly termed "therapy". After my Grandmother had knee replacements, she was prescribed therapy exercises for her knees. She continued those exercises daily the rest of her life.

Later when I struggled with my knees, I remember her statement yet I never connected the fact that muscles protect the knee joint. I was never educated, informed or I simply did not connect the dots - whatever the case, I now find many of personal training clients share the same thought process I had before I was trained and educated.

Once we understand how the stairs can help us with our health, shouldn't we promote the stairways rather than hide the stairways? Don't you find it ironic that hospitals hide the stairways the best (not all but most hospitals).

Promoting stairways at hospitals deserves a national award.

Fitness, I feel, deserves the same status and notoriety and payment plans from our health coverage as any therapy or any physician's visit.

Silver Sneakers has made its way into Medicare coverage - great start.

What brought this to mind for me was an interaction with a Veteran. I have long supported providing some sort of benefit coverage for our Veterans to attend a health club at reduced prices. We recognize our Veterans but IF we were to really do something for our Veterans perhaps we could start with offering a free membership to them and reduced costs for their families to the local gym.

The costs the opponents would say would be huge - they are right - but I contend we pay it now and get started and see savings or we pay it later when people cannot walk, or when people need a knee replacement. Falling is an injury we can prevent with a good fitness program. To avoid the trauma and medical costs of falling makes all us healthier - emotionally and financially.

The United States has one of the highest medical costs in the world. We must combat this social trauma. The fight against obesity has been discussed.

Let's step up and remember our Veterans every day and extend fitness - the complementary medicine to their health insurance programs.

We have made progress but more can be done. Silver Sneakers is included in Medicare. We, as a society are now talking about fitness as a preventative item for obesity yet we rarely talk about the case studies that show where fitness has forestalled the need for surgery. Yes, the need may still be there, yet, if we forestall the need, we may be able to develop procedures that are less costly and less invasive.

Heart Surgery

When I had surgery in 1976 at Mayo Clinic, the doctor stated I was good until age 65. I have watched the changes over the years and am thrilled to report my sister in law had open heart surgery without the heart and lung machine and all the invasion into her body. She was a special case because of her diabetes and one of the very first - number 44 or something remarkable like that a couple of years ago.

The fact that we can now do the same surgery with less cost, shorter recuperation time is reason enough to forestall a surgery with exercise.

Resting Heart Rate

For me, I watch my resting heart rate and see a direct correlation with my fitness program.

Forestalling Surgery with Fitness

Forestalling surgery may eliminate the surgery or it may not. Forestalling surgery with "therapy" or exercise may allow time for new procedures that are cheaper and more effective.

Forestalling - My Personal Story and Viewpoint

Let me be clear, "forestalling" surgery is not the same as "delaying". We do not want to change the quality of care. If the need is present, we do not want to delay. If we can forestall the need - that is the highest and best use.

My forestalling is a personal choice and should always remain so.

When I ran the health insurance plan, I was horrified when an employee of mine signed up under HMO and their son's heart surgery was delayed 6 months! I could relate and was emotionally attached - you see when I was told I needed heart surgery, Mayo had a 6 month waiting list. I didn't want to have heart surgery in the summer, I wanted it over and done with. Mayo Clinic listened and I had my surgery December 10th.