Health Care Reform
Like many people on Feb 25th 2010 I watched President Obama and the live debate on health care reform. A few times during the discussion I heard the term “prevention” used but unless I missed it, I never heard anyone talk about how personal fitness trainers can help.
This is a topic I talk about in almost every class I teach. Before some of you scoff at what I’m saying, hear me out. I consider personal trainers members of the health care system – and I consider them unique and undervalued members.
Let’s consider these facts
1. Doctors see their patients for about 5 to 10 minutes once a year – if they are lucky
2. Nurses usually only see people when they are in the doctor’s office or hospital, again, usually when people are sick and then only have a very limited time with their patients
3. Physical therapists only see people when they get hurt –and that stops as soon as insurance runs out. Many PT’s are overworked also, seeing several people simultaneously. This limits the time to help educate people about how to stay healthy.
Personal fitness trainers see the people they work with 3-5 days a week for an average of 30 to 60 minutes a day! They, more than any other member of the health care system can have a profound effect to change the health of Americans for the better.
Exercise is medicine. Exercise has been shown to reduce the risk of a number of health conditions. Just a few include:
- Heart disease – the number 1 killer of both men and women
- Cancer – the number 2 leading cause of death
- Stroke. The number 3 leading cause of death in America
Think about how much money could be saved if we could simultaneously reduce the risk of just the 3 leading causes of death in America. No drug in the word will do this and reduce all 3 at the same time – except exercise! Exercise reduces the risk of many other conditions also.
If health care reform is going to happen in America we need to put a real, meaningful emphasis on prevention. That’s where personal trainers come in.
Research finds that most people hire personal trainers because they do not know you to exercise safely. By educating people today, fitness trainers can go a long way to reducing disease rates decades later, putting less stress on the health care system.
Another part of prevention is changing the mindset of Americans. People have to take control of their health. They need to stop putting their heads in the sand, thinking that somebody will take care of them when they have a heart attack etc. While this thinking may work in the short term, we are not Humpy Dumpty – one day they will NOT be able to put us back together again.
I know everybody doesn’t think like this but enough do. Again, educated fitness trainers can help here also by not only setting an example, but reinforcing healthy behavior by inculcation of the facts and fostering regular exercise sessions.
Let me be clear. I am NOT talking about weight loss. I don’t care of people lose weight although that can help. Research shows that people who exercise are still healthier even if they do not lose weight. Research also shows that skinny people who DO NOT exercise die more than overweight people who DO exercise and don’t lose weight. Exercise not necessarily weight loss is the key to reducing health care costs. How many lives could be saved if people would just exercise a little more and not smoke?
If health care reform is to include fitness trainers, then those who do not strive to improve their education need to step up or they will quickly fall by the wayside and be surpassed by their better educated counterparts. Fitness trainers must know how to work with conditions and diseases like heart disease and diabetes to name a few. Making everybody perform interval training and super sets is the wrong approach for many people with health problems.
Do I have an ax to grind here? I sure do. I want people to be healthy and I want the fitness trainers to see themselves as health and fitness educators. In addition, even more than lowering health care costs, I don’t want people to fall victim to diseases that for the most part, don’t have to happen.
As I am fond of saying, a body in motion stays in motion and a body at rest stays at rest. Those who rest long enough run the risk of debilitating and mostly preventable diseases and hardships that lead unfortunately to that person resting forever.
What do you think about using fitness trainers to help with health care reform? Leave your comments and subscribe to my blog so you can keep up with the conversation.
{ 2 comments… read them below or add one }
I totally agree and I even wrote to the White House and got an e-mail back from Obama about reading his Health Care reform bill. I have recently gotten my Fitness Instructor Certifications and am in the process of starting fitness classes for my community. I was an overweight diabetic and with exercise and diet I am free of all medications therefore saving my insurance companies thousands of dollars each year but what do I get for those savings? An increase in my premiums!! Healthcare Reform should include tax benefits for those that strive to become healthy and help the cost of Insurance companies and state and local government with their government based programs!! People need to take more responsibility for there health!
Thanks for your comments Susan and congratulations on your accomplishments! You are very much an inspiration to everybody. My health insurance rates increased about 30 % last year so I know how you feel. Health insurance is now the second largest bill I pay each month, after my mortgage. Regardless, you are to be admired for what you did and for taking the initiative to contact the President. Keep me posted on your continued progress.
Joe