Be Involved

We as a people like to know what's going on in and around our world. Sadly, we just want to read about it rather than take part in it. Unfortunately, I see the same type of thing happening with our own health these days. I tell patients all the time, "you have to participate in your our health care".  The two questions I ask in my office more than anything else are:

#1: Are you stretching?
and #2: Are you drinking water?

Pretty simple right?  Guess what the most common answers are...

To question #1:  Simply "No", or
"You always ask the same question, and I always tell you, no..." or
"What was I supposed to be doing?" or
"I forgot" or
"I did for a couple of days and then I stopped when I felt better" or
"I don't have time" or
"It hurts when I stretch"....  and on, and on, and on....

To question #2:  Again, simply "No" or
"I don't like water" or
"I drink a lot of liquids" or
"Is coffee (or tea, or soda) considered water?" or
"I can't because it makes me go to the bathroom" or
the best... "I'm allergic to water" (no kidding!)

Well, my feeling is, if you can't be bothered with the most simple aspects of your own health, why should I care?  Cranky of me isn't it?  Look, if you pay someone to give you advice, why won't you follow it.  It's the old song and dance, you pay me to help you and instead you take the advice of your friend that works at the grocery store instead.  Try this, try that... and you do!!!  Yet, we have bikes in the garage, ab-rollers in the closet, and dusty weights in the guest room.  We have Crystal Light, diet soda, and expensive coffee beans we'll grind for the perfect cup of coffee.   Why, I ask, WHY???

It's simple, you watch TV, so take the commercial times to do your stretches.
When you take that cigarette break or bathroom break, could you drink a little water then?
We are obsessed with dieting in this country, so why not do the two cheapest and most successful factors in dieting daily: Stretching and drinking water.  Two habits worth developing.

For the few of you I've converted today or over the years, your body and I thank you, and the next time I ask my two questions, you can say "every day!"  That... will make me smile.