You Can't Have Your Cake And Eat It Too

The key for longevity in fitness and health is consistency. Consistency over time will prove to be crucial in your pursuit of peak health and conditioning.

Over the years I have seen a reoccurring problem that has reared its head much more frequently than ever before and I am concerned we are headed down the wrong path and our current health care system may be behind it!
When living a fitness lifestyle we all experience injuries at some point or another, in many cases, multiple injuries. But the injuries aren't what I'm concerned about because injuries happen; it's the price you pay for committing yourself to a life of active living. The real problem I have is when an injury occurs and you go see a physician, the advice they give in many cases in my opinion is the wrong advice!
Now I'm not saying this is always the case. What I am saying is, in my experience when sending my personal clients to a physician to address an injury, I admittedly disagree with the advice given 99% of the time.
When someone in the general public experiences an injury or has a chronic problem causing pain while exercising, the advise from most of our physicians today from my experience has been "stop working out, or stop lifting weights, etc.."
The advice is to stop doing what you're doing that causes pain, with no real attempt to find out what the root cause of the pain or injury is. The problem is not the exercise; the problem is generally something else. However, it's easier to simply put a Band-Aid on the issue by having you stop doing what you're doing to avoid reproducing the pain.
How about we find out what the problem is and fix it doctors.......? At least make an honest attempt!
When professional athletes experience these same problems and conditions do you think the doctors tell them to stop working out....? Absolutely not! Most professional athletes endure some level of pain every day but that's the life they chose and to stop doing what they do is not an option!
Now I don't disagree that when you first experience an injury or you have a chronic pain causing problem that has significantly flared up that a little rest isn't required. Yes, you do have to take care of that injury but the sooner you can get back into the game and start strengthening those muscles again the better; hence the goal of going to rehab following an injury.
The other issue I have is if you have an isolated arm injury or leg injury, for example, does it make sense to completely stop working out and neglect the hundreds of other muscles in the body and jeopardize your long term health...? I think not, you can work around those injuries!
Remember the key to long term success is consistency over time. What that means for your goal to maintain long term health and fitness is to keep yourself in the game. My advice to you is to invest in your own health care, always get multiple opinions, and always see a physician who specializes in your type of injury or problem. Even better, see a physician who works with athletes and specializes in your specific type of injury or problem.
Now that I'm on this rant lets bring this issue full circle and look at the big picture!
We have a health care system that in many cases does not address the root cause of the problems people are having. Instead our physicians advise us to stop doing what we are doing and take a prescription medication; which unfortunately is just a Band-Aid on the true cause of the problem.
(I'm sure this has nothing to do with the fact that physicians get kickback from the drugs they prescribe to their patients.......I'm just saying.)
In my opinion, this approach has contributed significantly to the poor health of Americans today, and the extreme rise in health care cost that many of us cannot afford.
The real burner here is that those of us who have dedicated ourselves to a daily pursuit of health and fitness, under the new healthcare plan, hold the burdens of those who don't do the same on our backs.
The answer to this problem is a constant pursuit of peak health and conditioning by all. As my friend John Ashworth, The Fitness Nomad, would say. "Health care free for everyone...great, but you can't have your cake and eat it to!"
You can't knowingly neglect taking care of yourself then accept free health care from the government at the expense of those of us who have chosen to live healthy!
We must all do our part and be accountable for our own health and encourage everyone you know especially our kids to do the same.