As the year ends we know that some very notable people have had health issues the last couple of weeks. Britney Murphy died after a short unidentified illness, Rush Limbaugh was rushed to the hospital after experiencing chest pain and Urban Meyer has taken an indefinite leave from coaching after two health emergencies. This time of year reminds us that our health is our most important asset and should be treated as such. Here are a few things you can do that might help.
Have your yearly physical. Many people feel they should only see the doctor if they are feeling sick. If you value your health and your pocketbook then spending a little wellness time with your doctor is worth it. Your physician will know what tests you need yearly. They may also see something you may miss such as mole that might look a little strange or a change in your skin tone. If you do not have insurance consider taking advantage of the local Health Department, these facilities can help you find affordable health care and inoculations for your children.
Invest in exercise. You do not need to join a gym. If you are looking for information about exercise there are some great places for free to learn more about it. Sparkpeople.com and Transformations.com are both free and have experts who give information on work outs. If you are looking for people to walk or exercise with try Meetup.com. They have many different groups and if you can not find one you want you can always start one.
Educate yourself. There are many great websites our there. WebMD.com, Livestrong.com and Lifescript.com are great sources for information from many different professionals. If you have questions it is always good to ask your healthcare professional, if they are unavailable a website where professionals are sharing information are great places to find generic information about medications, tests or conditions. Your local hospital also has educational classes throughout the year. Just give a call and ask for the community education department.
Create a healthy eating plan. This is one place where the internet excels and where it fails. There are more sites about eating, diet and food then just about anything else. The trick is to find the healthy information that does not cost you anything. Discovery.com has their yearly National Body Challenge that is free and has several perks including 14 day pass to Bally’s Health Club. Sparkpeople.com has a custom food plan that is free as well. Ivillage.com also has a food planner and program. All of these plans are based on a health balance food plan of 1200 to 1800 calories depending on the site.
This is just a starting point for the New Year. Each person has their own ideas about what they need to create a healthy and successful life. Just remember that the time spent being healthy will pay you back in ways you would not suspect.
Amy Korn-Reavis, RRT, RPSGT has been in the respiratory and sleep field for over twenty years. She is currently managing a growing sleep lab in Apopka and coordinates a sleep support group. She can be reached at bettersleepcoach@gmail.com..