Health and Fitness Overview

Phillip A. Covington

Personal Web Site

When it comes to sports it's not uncommon to hear the word "enthusiast." Some are running enthusiasts, others bicycling. Some go more for team sports, like football fans, or fans of baseball, hockey, etc. In my case the title of the entire field, "health and fitness," describes what I'm enthusiastic about. I tend to have a keen interest in and love to study anything having to do with health and fitness, nutrition, and preventative medicine. (Actually I find the term "preventative medicine" rather interesting because if one is taking preventative measures there is a good chance he or she won't need the medicine!) I really don't have a favorite sport, although I've participated in some more than others. Various interests of mine are sprinkled throughout this Web site. But health-related sports I've had an interest or participated in include: bicycling, skating, rollerblading, downhill and cross-country skiing, backpacking and hiking, snowshoeing, running (occasionally), water skiing, and strength training. Outdoor activities are my preference, although working out at home has its advantages when keeping a busy schedule. For indoor workouts I'm often found on my trusty NordicTrack Pro that I've had for over 10 years, combined with a combination of machine and free weights strength training.

[Home] This page last updated 20-Apr-2001

I'm firmly convinced (and medical evidence confirms) that most health problems in life are unlikely to come about if a person is simply willing to take good care of themselves. What's "good care?" Well, certainly not smoking; and drinking? in moderation if at all (I've never been a smoker or drinker); good nutrition; a good night's sleep; and, of course, regular exercise. I didn't mention watching one's weight because you'll find that, generally, if you do the above, weight doesn't tend to be a problem. Ok, so far I've told you a little about my interests, and some things about health you've probably already heard. Besides, I'm not a medical doctor, nutritionist, or fitness trainer, just an enthusiast who's studied the subject extensively. So, hopefully, you'll find the information I do share to be helpful and informative in a way that you haven't heard things put before. It's All About "Progress" I definitely consider myself a technology buff, and in my opinion the greatest overall effect technology seems to bring about is "progress." By now it's also fairly well accepted that as much as the "established" scientific and medical community hates to be wrong, and hates even more to admit it when they are, that often our technological achievements don't take into effect the long-term consequences. So while we have made progress in admitting that progress itself is sometimes pushed too far too fast, we haven't made many advances in our ability to put the brakes on when we find a case where it has happened. Specifically, I'm talking about the high numbers of people we have with health or weight problems. As I've already said, the things I mentioned earlier (taking good care, exercise, etc.) are already fairly well known. It's also known that people have a problem doing those things they need to do to stay healthy. But is there more to it? I think so. Modern Times: Couch Potato Heaven? Compare a current workday with the workday of centuries ago, and then thousands of years ago. Today most of us sit at a desk (like I am right now); definitely not a calorie burner. Thanks to mechanization (technology again) those who don't have a desk job still usually have it pretty easy. There are, of course, exceptions, especially in agriculture, construction, and outdoor work. But even there, machines now do much of what we once had to do by hand. Most people then spend much of the evening after work watching TV, again, sitting down. Multiply that routine by 5 days a week for an entire year, and there is no reason to wonder why the health statistics are as bad as they are! Life Before The Couch Potato Michigan, where I live, has lots of history. Glimpses into that history can be seen in places like Ford's Greenfield Village, and Crossroads Village and Huckleberry Railroad, in Flint, Mich, where you can see (in action) how people lived before running water and electricity were common. It doesn't take much watching to figure out that even in relatively "modern" times it wasn't that long ago that people had to work at almost everything! To cook on the stove you had to build a fire; to do that you had to chop wood; and to do that... Then when it came time to wash the dishes you had to heat the water, and to do that you had to build a fire... Oh, and did I mention that you had to pump the water and bring it in from outside? See what I mean? Much of the day, whether work or play, consisted of "exercise!" There also weren't that many snack foods around, or fast-food restaurants. Little House on The Prairie Going back even earlier (circa Little House on The Prairie) you'll find that most people rose before sunshine, worked hard throughout the day (again, exercise) growing, tending to, and harvesting their own food, and ate even fewer processed foods, etc. AEHP (The Original Adam and Eve Health Plan) And what if we go all the way back? Of course, to do that gets into another debate depending on whether or not you believe in Adam and Eve or the monkey theory! So we won't go quite there! The reason I'm going so far back is because two, simple, significant changes in "progress" are largely responsible for today's health dilemma: 1) Even going back thousands of years man still had organized agriculture and "processed" foods. 2) Because of the above, and a fairly regular work schedule, people still ate scheduled meals. In order to see what people did differently before you have to go back even further. I'm going to stick with the Adam and Eve scenario for the moment because it makes this point really easy. Man seems to have been designed for eating small meals throughout the day (when hungry) as opposed to having to cram it all in during three daily "feedings." Also, before organized agriculture, eating and activity (exercise) were fairly well matched. People had to work to eat (picking fruit off of trees and finding other food), and people ate while working (great way to burn calories). There are examples of people living this way in fairly recent times, and even today, but going back so far in history makes it easier to get the point. Being Wiser About Progress Back to today, true, we can't go back to the Garden of Eden, but at least we can learn from what we know. There are and endless number of examples of small cultures of people around the world that either still suffer from virtually no disease today, or only started doing so after they too adopted "progress." What can we do? Well, we can't stop progress, but we can be wiser about it. That's why many companies now offer fitness programs and even onsite exercise facilities for their employees. That's certainly a step in the right direction, but an hour a day at the company gym is still fighting an uphill battle against the other 6 to 7 hours at a desk, a rushed (or no) lunch hour, etc. Somehow we need to find a way to maintain productivity while increasing awareness for the importance of a healthy lifestyle. And make available to workers scheduling and other options that help them achieve health and fitness success. I'm not saying companies are responsible for people's health. People are responsible for their own health. The company exercise cycle won't help those who sit on it just to read a book and not pedal. (Ditto at home.) But companies can do more to help workers integrate their work schedule with a healthy lifestyle. Speaking of sitting at a desk. That's another thing people didn't do a lot of ages ago. They were too busy standing up working! Ever wonder why there are so many people with bad backs? I did. That's why the chair at my desk has no back at all! You're Only As Old As You Think You Are? I've had an ongoing debate for years with a few of my friends in their 40s and 50s (30s too, for that matter) who insist that when you reach "their age" it is inevitable that the waist line expands, the body slows down, and health problems are inevitable. I couldn't disagree more, though, and as I get older I'm equally sure I'll prove it to them! My earliest exposure to "really healthy" living was through a brother and sister who remain dear friends to this day. Their entire family was health conscious, from their parents up, but the sister, Gloria, is the only person I know who can prepare ANY kind of health food so that it is ALWAYS just as tasty as the stuff that isn't good for us. And her brother, Gerry, now closing in on 70, is EASILY in as good or better shape than most people half his age! So, while we can't keep the clock of time that's inside each one of us from ticking, there is proof positive that we can certainly do a lot to take great care of the package! My friends above are far from the only examples. In one fitness magazine I saw a bodybuilder in his 60s who would put almost any guy in his 20s to shame. In fact, the only way you can really tell is by the gray hair! An article in another magazine featured a woman in her 80s who had just taken up skydiving for the first time! So, while there may be some truth to the saying: "you are only as old as you think you are," no one can argue with my way of putting it: "We are as old as the sum total of how well we have taken care of ourselves!" If I can obtain copyright permission from the magazine publishers, I will post pictures here of the "super-senior" athletes referred to above. In Case You're Wondering Oh, in case you're wondering, no, I'm not a vegetarian. But you'll find that people who eat a lot of fruit and vegetables (the original "healthy" food) tend to be a lot healthier. So, I can manage just fine sitting down to a meal with a vegetarian and I won't miss the meat. (I don't care much, though, for those who are extreme about it, and try to push it on others.) And, when I'm doing all of the things talked about above that we know we are supposed to do, I go years without so much as even a cold. I've never been "really" sick, and I've never been in the hospital. That's why you also won't find a single bottle of medication in the house, not even aspirin: no need. That doesn't mean, though, that I don't make sure to get regular checkups, etc. It's sort of like going to the dentist when you know you've taken care and have no cavities. The dentist says: "good job!" and it's a fun visit! The Truth About Most Vitamins and Supplements One other thought. You've probably also already heard that (again, due to progress) the foods we eat today don't contain adequate nutrition even if we eat "a balanced meal." That's why the vitamin industry has gotten so huge. Vitamins may even be a part of your regular grocery list. But what you may not know is that most vitamins, even the "really good" ones that cost so much at the grocery store, don't contain that much nutrition either! In some cases it requires some checking into to find out what's in a vitamin, mineral, or nutritional supplement you may be taking; but check the label for yourself. You'll find that many products contain fillers, and forms of the claimed nutrient that really aren't that absorbable by the human body. Personally I only buy vitamins, minerals, and supplements that are "pharmaceutical grade," and have data sheets available from independent labs which prove you're actually getting what the label claims. These are typically available only from health food stores or directly from the manufacturer. One such company, TwinLab, makes its vitamins, minerals, and supplements available through GNC (General Nutrition Centers). The Best, Single Source of Information The best single, source I've found for accurate reliable information on health, fitness, and nutrition, is "The Colgan Institute," and a book by Dr. Michael Colgan called: "Optimum Sports Nutrition." If you are physically active, great; if not, the information in the book is still worth its weight in gold. The Colgan Institute has also lab tested most of the popular vitamins and supplements on the market and makes available information on which ones live up to their labels: TwinLab is one. Future Plans For This Site At some point when I have time I will probably add an "alternative health" section to this site. And, no, I'm not talking about anything "new age." By "alternative" I simply mean health and fitness issues that offer a preventative alternative by way of staying healthy so as to avoid the traditional "alternative" of developing health problems that have to be fixed later, after the fact. The new part of the site will probably be indexed and feature a listing of health issues and/or problems for which there is now generally accepted evidence of healthy lifestyle alternatives. You've probably already heard in the mainstream media, for instance, that both arthritis and osteoporosis are increasingly more curable (if not too advanced), and certainly largely preventable? Again, I'm not a doctor, and I won't try to be. I'll leave that up to voluminous amounts of information from doctors, nutritionist, fitness trainers, and medical associations and journals that lend credence to each discovery. Stay tuned, I think you'll like what you see. In the meantime, enjoy the health and fitness related links below! And, best of health!

Health and Fitness Resources American Heart Association AMNI (Advanced Medical Nutrition, Inc.) The American Running Association BackPacker Magazine Bicycling Magazine The Colgan Institute Fifty-Plus Fitness GNC (General Nutrition Centers) HealthWorld Online Mayo Clinic's Health Oasis NordicTrack Outside Magazine Prevention Magazine's Healthy Ideas Dr. Pribut's Running Injuries Page Rodale Press Online Runner's World Online SkiNet (Publishers of Ski and Skiing Magazines) USA Gymnastics Online USFSA (United States Figure Skating Association) United States Olympic Committee USATF (USA Track & Field) thriveonline.com Historic Recreational Activities If you live in or near Michigan the two villages below are the largest, and among the largest, in the country. There is no shortage of activities; in fact, you probably won't be able to see all of either village in a single day. Both feature real steam locomotives, one of which is full sized, including full-sized passenger cars. What you see is VERY realistic. The structures are original, and, for the most part, the people follow a real daily routine using real tools, furniture, equipment, and resources from that era. Much of the maintenance at Greenfield Village is done by mechanics and craftsman using the original tools and machine shops on location! And if you happen to be welcomed into a home by a friendly woman wearing an apron, to enjoy a batch of fresh cookies or other goodies she just baked, you can be sure she didn't cook them up on a gas stove! It's great fun, and great learning. Lastly, there is the added bonus that, when you're not riding a locomotive, it's also an enjoyable way to get one of the easiest forms of exercise: walking! Henry Ford Museum and Greenfield Village

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