It’s the season of resolutions and trying new things to improve your health and wellness. But what does that actually mean and could the definition of fitness be different for each person and each expert you ask for guidance? We spoke with a physician and exercise specialist to get the lowdown on what fitness is and how to make your health a priority in the new year.
What is Fitness?
Ben Meyerink, MD – Avera Family Medicine Physician: When I look at fitness, I think of somebody's just overall health and well-being. So the things I focus on are how much they're exercising. Are they sleeping regularly? How much water are they drinking? What kinds of foods are they eating? Are they using alcohol, tobacco, things like that? Every patient, no matter what medical problems they're dealing with or what their age is, those are the types of things we are screening for and looking for in terms of just overall fitness, health and well-being.
Devin Coughlin – Avera Exercise Specialist: Fitness to me, especially for athletes, is looking at what they need for the desired sport. Especially in a setting like a fitness center, we need to look at body composition, cardiovascular fitness, muscular strength, muscular endurance, as well as flexibility. Working with a wide range of athletes, we tailor their workout to the metabolic demands of their sport.
What are the health benefits of fitness?
Dr. Meyerink: It's not just exercising to lose weight or to reach a magic number. Sure, that's why many people do it. For the most part, what we're trying to prevent is things like heart disease, diabetes, musculoskeletal issues and things that may not affect you now in the next year or two, but things that may arise years down the road. We're trying to help you be fit for life and longevity and aging well.
Devin: You have to be dedicated. It's not something that happens overnight. I mean, everybody wishes it was overnight. But in terms of training, you have to be consistent. That's the biggest thing. You have to look at what you're eating. And then on top of that, you look at the changes within the body. The biggest thing that I see with people is they don't set a schedule and then they can't stick to it. If you say, "Hey, all right, I'm going to go before work in the morning." If you put it down in your calendar, it's like, "OK, now I'm going to go."
Advice or encouragement for those looking to improve their fitness in 2025?
Dr. Meyerink: I think a lot of people are afraid to talk to their physicians or don't realize their physicians will be glad to talk to you about your exercise, diet and fitness. So step one is not being afraid to ask about this because we have a lot of resources. We have tremendous talent in terms of trainers, dietitians or others who will gladly walk alongside you. I also think it's important to just find what works for you. People are busy. They have jobs, kids, sometimes cost is a burden so I think there's a lot of different options out there in terms of gyms or apps that can work with your time and schedule and budget. So I think people have to get creative as well and find something that is sustainable and that they can remain diligent with for years to come.
Devin: Fitness journeys can be difficult to start. It can be a hard, long grueling process, but if you stick to it, even if you're strength training or resistance training, if you go in, and say “Hey, I walked in the door today. I didn't go heavy. I didn't work super hard. But I walked in the door and guess what? That's 1% better.” You got 1% better. You add that up every single day and it's going to add up into you becoming a whole different person.
Exercise is one component of fitness, the other is diet. The Avera Balance Blog is a great resource for help in following a diet as well as new recipes to discover. The Balance Blog is also a great place to start if you're looking for more information on finding a primary care physician or to enroll in fitness program or gym membership and start improving your health and wellness.
