Every January, people start to make their new year’s resolutions. What’s the #1 resolution? To get in shape. Join a gym. Lose weight. That’s a really great resolution. I’ve been working out at gyms for over 10 years and I see the same things every year. January rolls along and the gyms are full of people who are energized by their new year’s resolutions to get back in shape. Then February comes, and some of them drop out. March and April get here and half of them are gone. By the summer time, the gyms are left with the people who are regulars, plus some new folks who decided to stick with it (but very few of those).
Let’s all just face it. Resolving to get in shape, join a gym, eat better, etc, is hard to do when there isn’t a total commitment for a life change to go with it. Too many people view their health as a short-term project: I just need to lose 10 pounds. I want to get ready for the summer time. I want to fit back into those clothes I bought last July. Those goals are perfectly fine, but the bigger picture should give each one us the screaming motivation to get to it and stick to it and to make the serious lifestyle changes that will keep us healthy in our later years.
A person’s waist size is important, but not as much for how it relates to fitting into a pair of jeans. The more important concern for waist size is its affect on overall health. A lot of people don’t think about how that relates to things like diabetes, heart disease, and low testosterone (just to name a few). And sure, being thin may look good, but what about the fact that being overwheight is a factor in heart disease? Eating healthy will certainly help you take off some needed pounds, but it also will help to lower your bad cholesterol which can lead to very serious health problems.
Younger people especially have their blinders on when it comes to their health. They’re gong to live forever and they’re invensible. They don’t need to worry about that stuff and the way they fit into their clothes is the most important reason for them to be in shape. But then a funny thing happens. They hit their 30′s and then their 40′s. Then they have to start facing the reality that being healthy is so much more important than just the way they look in the mirror. Lots of younger people have never had any blood work done at a doctor’s office. They don’t know if their cholesterol is high. They hit their 30′s and notice that they are feeling more and more fatigued each day, but they’re doing the same things they’ve always done. Men start hearing about how their testosterone starts to decrease in their 30′s, but they’ve never had that checked out. What’s the point? Get a check up!
Your health is so much more important than just the way you look in a mirror. It’s important because you want to live a healthy life when you’re not as young as you once were. When was the last time you saw the doctor for something other than a cold, alergies, or the flu? When was the last time your medical doctor ran blood tests on you? Most people don’t realize that they should get annual blood tests because they can catch things that you don’t even know could be a problem. Once they become problems, you wish you would have known sooner. When was the last time you had a complete physical? Maybe that fatigue is a problem that a medical doctor can solve. And how’s your heart? Have you ever had an EKG? Did you know that you can get that done in less than 10 minutes at a doctor’s office.
Listen, you don’t need to go see your medical doctor only when you feel sick. That’s where so many people go wrong. No – you should see your doctor when you feel well. Get a full check-up by your medical doctor. Ask for lab work. Ask your doctor for a complete physical. These “well” visits will prevent you from having more than your share of the sick visits. So, if you’re going to make a new year’s resolution to get in shape, start by making an appointment with your medical doctor. Don’t ignore your overall health and focus only on your outward appearance. Those mistakes can lead to serious health problems down the road.
WOLMED Medical in Denton and Dallas have medical doctors who can help you with your well and sick visits. We can do you lab work in house and help you get in the best shape of your life. We accept most major insurances including Blue Cross Blue Shield of Texas, Aetna, United Healthcare, PHCS, Cigna, and many more. We welcome same-day appointments and we can usually get your lab results back withing a couple of days.
Make your new year’s health resolution the right way. See your doctor. WOLMED Medical Doctors want to be your doctor too.
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