Welcome to Straight Talk on Health.. I’m your host Dr. Chet Zelasko. Straight Talk on Health. is a joint production with WGVU in Grand Rapids MI. With a PhD in exercise physiology and health education I’ve been teaching people how to improve their health through diet, exercise, and supplementation for over 30 years. I look at the science behind all the headlines and social media hype, and let you know whether it’s something to consider or not. You can check out other things that I do on my website Drchet.com and sign up for my free emails.
I spend a lot of time observing people; I can spot someone with a gait problem whether the cause is their lower back, a knee, or an overall core issue. I also watch people move who have weight problems, especially young people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s carrying extra weight. Degenerative diseases aside, what kind of life will they have in their 50s, 60s, and 70s? I’ve watched what that does to people as well. I know from experience what carrying an extra 30 pounds is like. What must 100 or more extra pounds be like?
I’ve discussed the how of weight loss many times: eat less, eat better, and move more. But it really comes down to answering one question: How independent do you want to be? It’s one thing to become dependent on others due to an accident or other issue; it’s another to voluntarily give up your independence without gaining as much control over your body as you’re able.
Let me give you a recent example. I was at my local middle school track doing intervals while walking. Open up the jets for 100 meters, rest while walking for the remaining 300 meters. Repeat 8 times on this particular day. I happened to start talking to a man I’ve seen there for years but never talked with more than to say hello in passing. I noticed he was stretching while he was walking, something I’d never seen him do. He said he liked to play a little soccer with other men in the area. Not bad for 68 although he had a significant belly. He said that he tore his ACL several months ago and now he can’t do that anymore. I told him to get it repaired. He hemmed and hawed. I asked him, based on the fact he’s lived until 68, he has a life expectancy to live another 10 years. What did he want that 10 years to be like? Independent or restricted by his body? I left him saying Get it fixed. Time will tell whether he does or not.
That’s where taking inventory comes into play. Maybe you’d like to weigh less. Maybe you want to be fitter than you are now. More flexible. Able to run 5Ks with your kids. We could include everything from lowering cholesterol, sleeping better, or reducing medications. But those are discussions you need to have with your physician. If you have a genetically determined high blood pressure, you may have to stay on medications no matter how much weight you lose and how fit you become.
Why take an inventory before you begin your journey? Listen to this. You may not realize it but the Empire State building in NYC was built in just over a year from the first steel girder to the doors opening. One year and 45 days to be exact. The planning allowed the builders to anticipate almost every possibility while adding one floor per day. 200 trucks full of steel, cement components, stone, and on and on per day, every day for over a year at specific times per day. Over 3000 men working in two 12 hour shifts 5 days a week. Anticipating their need for food and water, bathrooms, and other logisticsso the men could work without pause as the structure rose to over 84 stories Nothing like that happened before that and nothing after so far as I could find. Taking an inventory can help you to develop a plan for your health journey.
I’m breaking this into two separate inventories: your health inventory focusing on muscles bones and joints and your logistics inventory. How do you manage all of those separate factors so everything you plan can work as smoothly as possible? You start with taking inventory of what’s at your disposal.
These are just some of the factors that can impact your ability to exercise, whether that’s getting, fitter, stronger or more flexible.
Can you sit and stand without assistance? Do you need assistance whether in the form of a walker or arms on the chair? All of those require basic muscular strength and balance.
Can you walk without assistance? How about with assistance? How far can you walk? I know this sounds so basic but everyone starts somewhere.
Can you bend over at the waist? Do you lose your balance if you do that? How about squatting? Full? ½ squat? ¼ squat? Not at all?
Can you get on an exercise bike? An elliptical trainer? A treadmill? In order to use them, you have to be able to balance well enough to get on them first.
Can you stand in place with your eyes closed or do you get dizzy? Can you touch your finger to your nose with your eyes closed while holding your arms horizontal to the floor?
Can you raise your arms above your head? Can you bend your arms at the elbow? Can you curl a can of vegetables? Can you lift it above your head?
Can you usually have enough grip strength to open a sealed jar? My grip strength has deteriorated over time.
Can you get on the floor on your hands and knees? Can you lie face down on the floor? Can you lie face up? Can you get up off the floor without using any piece of furniture? An ottoman or a chair?
Can you walk up a flight of stairs? Can you walk up a single stair and stand down again?
I could continue if I thought about it more but every one of those things will impact somebody. One great movie quote goes something like Every man has to know their limitations; I would maintain that applies to women as well. That’s what taking inventory is all about. If you’ve never been on a treadmill before, you don’t really know whether that’s possible for your fitness program or not. Some people have balance issues they never knew existed.Let’s turn to logistics
The logistics for getting healthier is no different than the physical inventory. You’ve got to know whether you have the time, the equipment, the time, the space, the time, the gym membership, the time... You getting the idea that time is important here? That’s the single biggest reason people quit an exercise program and for most, it’s the reason they never start.
Do you have the time, while getting reasonable sleep, to exercise in your schedule? Early in the day? Lunch? Before dinner? In the evening? Every day? Three days per week? Does it depend on your children’s after school activity schedule?
What equipment do you have? Do you like it enough to use it? Do you have exercise tubes or bands? Weights like dumbbells or barbells? Do you have mats for floor routines? Do you like exercising while watching videos?
Are you a member of a gym or club? Can you get there on a regular basis? Is there enough equipment to do what you like to do? Does it have a pool in case swimming is your thing?
Do you have the time to prepare meals if eating better is your goal? Do you have a selection of the right tools to cook well? Spices. Knives. Cook wear. Budget?
What are you willing to eat on a regular basis? I’ve made it clear I’m not drinking smoothies or eating bars, at least, not very much. That means more time for prep and cooking? More than that, it means do you have the money to eat healthier and more nutritious foods?
Is your car dependable? Do you live in a safe neighborhood to walk or jog in? Those are just some of the logistical factors to consider before you get to the how are you going achieve your health goals. What do you have to do in advance to make sure you have everything in place exactly when you need it to be to build the body you need?
You’re building your health future. Take a full inventory before you start your plan. That’s the way to gain the health independence we all want to have. You can check out drchet.com in the Health Info section for a PDF of the inventory I just reviewed.
That’s all the time I have for this episode. If you like this podcast, please hit the share button and tell your friends and colleagues about it. Until next time, this is Dr. Chet Zelasko saying health is a choice. Choose wisely today and every day.
