The Cost Of Not Exercising

By Kerry Daigle

Kerry Daigle is a contributing writer for Bonnes Nouvelles publication. You can read more about the good people and news at Bonnes Nouvelles @ their website www.ilovegoodnews.com.

Kerry Daigle and George Foreman

Just a few short years ago I was diagnosed with diabetes and heart disease. My blood sugar was very high prompting me to schedule a heart cauterization. Much to my dismay, I found out one of my arteries to my heart was blocked 100% and another 60%. For more than 24 months I was complaining to several physicians about different symptoms and was given several answers as to ‘why’ these symptoms occurred. I was even given medication to ‘assist’ with the symptoms until I met a dear friend who I feel may have not only saved my life but for sure pro-longed it. That was Dr. Gary Blanchard from Opelousas General Hospital who immediately diagnosed me as a diabetic and led me to scheduling a heart cauterization. What amazed Dr. Blanchard the most was that my symptoms were really simple (in his eyes) to diagnose and wondered why I wasn’t tested for diabetes before. Who knows? I have a lot of answers in my mind as to ‘why’ I was never tested but then giving those thoughts in this article will not solve my problems. The lesson I learned from all this is to always ‘take your health in your own hands’………. ‘Be your own doctor’……..and have your physician ‘assist’ you in getting the ‘tests’ you personally request. From there study your illness and then take charge of your health. I can only thank Dr. Blanchard for spending the time to help me find solutions to my health problems.

Medication for my condition seemed the ‘standard’ procedure most people would have taken; however, I knew medication was only going to mask my problem temporarily. I had to find a solution to make myself healthier and take control of my life if things were to get better. The one thing that kept coming up over and over again was to start a good exercise program. I did start one and followed a strong nutritional program created by Dr. Roy Vartabedian called Nutripoints (www.nutripoints.com ) and lost approximately 50 pounds. My exercise program was guided by the owner of the Cajun Fitness Gyms (Opelousas, Eunice, Rayne locations), Jason Smith, (see www.cajunfitness.com )and miracles started happening. Muscle tone not only started coming back with gains in muscle and loss of fat but fatigue disappeared. My posture improved. My back pain disappeared. Most importantly, I felt better and my clothes fit better.

To get my heart pumping again, I know I had to do three things. First was supplementation which was easy. Juice Plus products fit the bill in this area giving me the 17 different raw vegetables and fruits I needed on a daily basis as Juice Plus is a whole food product (see www.juiceplus.com/+kd08078 ). Second was diet and Nutripoints was simple to follow. No calorie counting..just simple steps to good nutrition. Third was a meaningful exercise habit which required the biggest sacrifice. Finding an extra 30 minutes to an hour a day was no small task, however, Jason Smith, my personal trainer, taught me how to make the ‘habit’ of exercise not only fun but very meaningful, teaching the benefits of each exercise he taught me.

Exercise is worth the sacrifice giving you increased energy, improved self-confidence, and better health. While setting a goal to becoming an award winning bodybuilder is admirable, look to slowly work into your life baby-steps of functional exercise. Repeated studies are showing just how beneficial regular exercise is. Recently, the Surgeon General (www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/sgr/intro.htm) released a report on physical activity and health. This report displayed how sedentary our nation has become. Here are the results of their research:

1. People of all ages, both male and female, benefit from regular physical activity.
2. Significant health benefits can be obtained by including a moderate amount of physical activity (e.g., 30 minutes of brisk walking or raking leaves, 15 minutes of running, or 45 minutes of playing volleyball) on most, if not all, days of the week. Through a modest increase in daily activity, most Americans can improve their health and quality of life.
3. Additional health benefits can be gained through greater amounts of physical activity. People who can maintain a regular regimen of activity that is of longer duration or of more vigorous intensity are likely to derive greater benefit.
4. Physical activity reduces the risk of premature mortality in general, and of coronary heart disease, hypertension, colon cancer, and diabetes mellitus in particular. Physical activity also improves mental health and is important for the health of muscles, bones, and joints.
5. More than 60 percent of American adults are not regularly physically active. In fact, 25 percent of all adults are not active at all.
6. Nearly half of American youths 12-21 years of age are not vigorously active on a regular basis. Moreover, physical activity declines dramatically during adolescence.
7. Daily enrollment in physical education classes has declined among high school students from 42 percent in 1991 to 25 percent in 1995.
8. Research on understanding and promoting physical activity is at an early stage, but some interventions to promote physical activity through schools, worksites, and health care settings have been evaluated and found to be successful.

The current recommendation for activity is 30 minutes a day. A recent report featured in The Journal of the American Medical Association reported that those who engaged in weight training for thirty minutes or more had a 23 percent lower risk of heart disease than those who did not lift weights. The researchers theorized that the benefits of weight training would result in reductions of high blood pressure and body fat. Weight training has many other benefits including being a preventive measure for osteoporosis and arthritis. Finally, weight lifting increases the amount of lean muscle mass in the body translating into increased strength and higher metabolism.

This leads to an old story about a guy who was a little intoxicated on his hands and knees crawling on the street. A police officer comes up and asks, “Hey, fella, what you think you are doing?” The guy looks up and says, “I lost some money on Railroad Avenue and I’m looking for it.” The police officer scratches his head and says, “ But this is Parkview Drive. The guy responds, “ I know. But the lighting is better on Parkview Drive.’

When it comes to choosing between treating our health problems with prescription drugs and ignoring exercise, most of us are just like the guy on Parkview Drive. We take the easy way out and look for health care solutions “where the lighting is better”.

I’ve learned along the way and found that we do have control over many of the risk factors involving heart disease and diabetes making these diseases high-preventable……if we take the necessary steps to ward them off.

It is high time we stopped watching Dr. Phil on prime-time and instead start living it. Instead of watching others leading exciting and fulfilling lives, we need to create our own spectacular stories. Get involved in sports, start working out, and involve your children. You will prevent disease; improve your chances of a longer, more productive life while building quality memories. And last but not least don’t be afraid of resistance training with weights. Get a professional certified trainer to show you ‘how’ to exercise within your limitations. It is your body…..your life. I am glad I had a second chance. Will you have one?