Do you need to see a doctor before starting an exercise program?

I see this question come up a lot with beginners who just want to start going for walks. They don't see the purpose in asking their physician if this exercise program is the right one for them. Maybe they feel as if they know their body well enough. Unfortunately, that usually isn't the case.

Your physicians know your medical history and can see if anything may happen if you start a certain kind of training. For example, I have juvenile arthritis in both knees. So, if I want to train for a 5K, I need to go see my doctor and ask if my knees can take that pressure. If he says yes, I also need to know if I can follow a certain x week plan or will that be too hard for my knees. Can I go faster than this plan entails? Should I go slower? He knows more than I do that my knees are very delicate and need proper care in order for me to run a 5K. 

Even though it is important to speak with your physician, there are 7 questions you can ask yourself before making the appointment. If you answer NO to every question, it is assumably safe to start the exercise program. If you answer YES to ANY question, it is advised to see a medical professional before beginning.

Here are the seven questions:

1. Has your doctor ever said that you have a heart condition AND that you should only do physical activity recommended by a doctor?
2. Do you feel pain in your chest when you do physical activity?
3. In the past month, have you had chest pain when you were not doing physical activity?
4. Do you lose your balance because of dizziness or do you ever lose consciousness?
5. Do you have a bone or joint problem that could be made worse by a change in your physical activity?
6. Is your doctor currently prescribing drugs for your blood pressure or a heart condition?
7. Do you know of any other reason why you should not do physical activity?

If you do answer each question with a "No" make sure you know the risks you are taking. It is really important to go speak with your doctor before starting an exercise regime. 

Would You Believe TV Doctors?

Recently, LA Times published an article called "TV not always a healthy channel for advice". This article caught my eye because I have noticed that my mother loves watching Dr. Oz's new talk show. Now, I am not trying to bash on Dr. Oz because he is an intelligent man (I mean, look at his credentials!). But, does he honestly think he can give women in this country advice about nutrition and food? Just having registered dietitians and certified nutritionists on the show isn't hiding his thoughts. It makes me look at him skeptically because I know he didn't study to become a dietitian; he studied to become a cardio thoracic surgeon.

So why are people believing everything that doctors on television are saying? This article gave great examples on why people should be more skeptical when watching health shows on television. My favorite one was the first example: probiotics and digestive enzyme supplements. Dr. Steven Lamm, an assistant professor at NYU, guaranteed on The View that in Less than half a decade, everyone will be taking a probiotic and a digestive enzyme supplement. (WAIT, WHAT?!) This man was promoting his book "No Guts, No Glory" where he claims that probiotics and digestive enzymes are crucial to overall gut health. Unfortunately, there is no real evidence about that. An enzyme expert (you see, someone with the education and certification), Dr. John Willams, has stated that the only people who need to take digestive enzymes are those with pancreatic diseases. It is also worthy to note that Dr. Lamm is a paid consultant for Ezymedica (a company dedicated to providing enzyme-focused supplements). 

I found this story so interesting because my sister was interested in "The Beauty Detox Solution" by certified nutritionist Kimberly Snyder. In this book, Snyder promotes probiotics and digestive enzymes. She even has her readers make raw saurkraut (it's so you can get natural probiotics and digestive enzymes) and eat a cup of it before dinner everyday. Now, maybe it's because I never liked saurkraut that I find this a little far-fetched, but I don't think I would take the time to have cabbage ferment for 3-5 days in a room, let alone make sure I always have enough. 

I realize that now more than ever people are more aware of their health and are trying in every possible way to stay healthy. Unfortunately, people are looking in the wrong places. If you were dating a guy, would you take advice from a friend who has been single for over a year? Because chances are, that person does not know how to keep a guy. Therefore, why are you listening to someone who studied a different category in medicine for most of their adult life? Chances are, they don't know much about nutrition.

Leave in a comment your thoughts about this!

LA Times Article