Is Good Fitness the Same as Good Health?
It would be nice to believe that if we are in good physical shape we must be in good health, right! Not necessarily. I have worked with many athletes who look to be in great shape, but when we begin to question them more specifically we learn that they aren't in the best of health.
The classic questions you can think of to determine if you are in good physical shape are:
o Can you walk or jog two miles?
o Can you do ten push-ups?
o Can you do ten pull-ups?
o Can you do thirty sit-ups?
o Can you touch your toes?
o Can you hold your breath for a minute?
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These are general questions, and for some of us very easy to answer yes to, but how many people can answer yes to those questions, as well as, to the other questions that pertain to general health?
Classic questions regarding someone's overall health are:
o Do you struggle with bloating, gas, indigestion or heartburn?
o Do you struggle with cravings and low blood sugar?
o Are you constantly fatigued and tired?
o Do you struggle with constipation or diarrhea?
o Do you get headaches, lightheadedness or dizziness regularly?
o Do you struggle with mood swings and irritability?
o Do you struggle with insomnia and getting a good night's sleep?
o Do your joints (shoulders, elbow, knees, ankles, wrists, etc…) ache?
o Do you get regular infections (sinus, colds, flu, urinary, etc…)?
There are more specific questions we can ask about your health. But you can see what we are talking about. I have known so many athletes who have this physique we would all be envious for, but as you explore a little deeper we find out they may have many of these problems going on. These health problems can be underlying problems for our thyroid, reproductive, immune, digestive and cardiovascular systems and causing degenerative and autoimmune problems.
The point is don't be confused into thinking that all you have to do is exercise to become healthier. Yes, exercise can be very beneficial. But if we avoid or neglect dealing with many of the health issues and only concentrate on our physique we may find that it takes quite a bit longer to get into physical shape.
I say that because so many times when patients of mine are struggling with digestive, hormonal and metabolic issues. They slowly sabotage their results due to the poor absorption and inability to properly regulate their metabolism.
As we recognize and prioritize our efforts – we will discover that our results are based on how well our overall body is functioning. Yes it would be nice to do hours of walking, or endless sets of bicep curls….but if our digestive and hormonal system are out of sync….it will take that much longer.
I invite you to use our online health quizzes to check and see how well your body is functioning. If you find out that you aren't doing as well as you would like follow the Healthy Steps program and address the root cause of your problems.
