Start Moving Start Living | Physical Activity

Why Do Doctors Tell Me to Exercise and They Know I Can’t?

June 29, 2018/in Doctor-Patient Relationship, Exercise guidelines, Obesity, Physical Activity /by Start Moving Start Living

Ever hear your healthcare provider say these dreaded words to you?

“You’re overweight and you need to exercise and watch your diet,” Easier said than done, right? Sometimes you might look at the person saying that to you and think to yourself, “YOU need to lose some weight yourself!!”

The stigma of being called overweight, obese, and morbidly obese are clearly enough to not make anyone feel good about themselves. This can then spiral downward into depression, which also adds to the problem. I don’t believe anyone WANTS to be overweight. If you’ve ever been chastised by a healthcare provider regarding your weight, or simply told you need to diet and exercise without any further instructions, you may decide to postpone seeking healthcare or avoid interacting with healthcare providers.

Losing weight is like a two-sided coin. Cutting back on sweets, carbs, and any other vices one might have will surely help with weight loss, but that’s only half of the battle. It’s that other side of the coin that seems to get to most people. That dreaded eight letter word….EXERCISE.

The dictionary defines exercise as “to engage in physical activity to sustain or improve health and fitness.” They key words here are “physical activity.” That can include a plethora of things that one could do. It does not necessarily mean having to join a gym or other fitness classes to engage in physical activity.

As a primary care physician practicing Internal Medicine, I am on the front line when it comes to seeing patients who are struggling with their weight. Being overweight or obese is usually accompanied by other co-morbid conditions including musculoskeletal diseases, such as arthritis. The combination of these two things oftentimes makes it very difficult for patients to feel that they can indeed exercise because of pain.

If we substitute the word “MOVEMENT” for “EXERCISE” we quickly see that engaging in some sort of physical activity can then take on a whole new meaning. If you’re suffering from knee and hip pain, marching in place for 10 to 15 minutes a day and then working your way up in time is a start. To add in a little bit of cardio, take some soup cans and do arm raises. You can also do these things even while sitting. These are forms of MOVEMENT that can be done right in the comfort of your own home.

Don’t let the word EXERCISE stop you from MOVING towards your goal of losing weight and being physically active.

Carla Harwell, MD and Millicent Gorham, PhD (Hon.), FAAN, MBA

Manage diabetes and joint pain with movement

April 24, 2018/in Arthritis, Exercise guidelines, Health Equity, Healthy Aging, Obesity, Physical Activity /by Start Moving Start Living

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 47 percent of people with arthritis also have diabetes. The most common type of arthritis is Osteoarthritis and in many cases, it is caused by excessive weight gain. The weight gain increases the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Having diabetes can potentially damage joint surfaces. The extra glucose sticks to surfaces of the joint and inhibits movement and leads to stiffness, greater risk of physical injury and falls. People who experience joint damage have increased pain and reduce physical activity. Exercise and the loss of just 15 pounds is known to reduce pain by 50 percent. The more exercise and movement, the less joint pain and relief of diabetes symptoms. Suggestions for prevention and treatment include stretching exercises, resistance training, aerobic exercise, improving glucose control, losing a few pounds, use of heat and cold therapy, and keeping affective joints warm in cold weather. Moving your body is one of the essential key to managing diabetes.

Miss Moti-vation by Kripa Joshi

Julie Kneeder, EdD, MS, RN and Tamara Huff, MD

Daily Practice of Mindful Behaviors

February 12, 2018/in Community, Exercise guidelines, Mindfulness, Physical Activity /by Start Moving Start Living

Getting to and maintaining a healthy weight involves the daily practice of mindful behaviors. Mindfulness is all about making conscious decisions with full awareness and acceptance of your emotions and fears. It is about being present in the moment and making a healthful decision in that moment.

Simple daily habits like eating fruits and vegetables, fish, lean meats, & healthy fats, controlling portion size, using alcohol judiciously, quitting tobacco and keeping moving will start you on the path to weight loss, and a healthier lifestyle.

Movement is absolutely mission critical. This is true not only from an energy or calorie expenditure perspective. Staying mobile improves every aspect of your wellbeing. Whether you are walking, dancing, or skipping rope physical activity affects your heart rate, your breathing, your circulation and your muscles, bones, and joints. You’ll sleep better, too. And, keeping moving has the added benefit of lifting your mood. You can kiss that late afternoon sluggishness or evening letdown goodbye.

Getting to your goal weight, and more importantly getting into a lifestyle of healthy habits is easier than it seems. Grab a friend and get started today!

Charla Johnson, RN, MSN, ONC and James E. Wood, Jr. MD

Learn more about GirlTrek

February 6, 2018/in Community, Exercise guidelines, Physical Activity /by Start Moving Start Living

GirlTrek is a major national health initiative aimed at getting black women and girls walking together, and was featured during our recent “Movement is Life” conference. They have nearly 250,000 followers on Facebook. We caught up with Onika Jervis from GirlTrek after the conference to learn more about the initiative. Onika had given an inspiring […]