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For each issue
of
Kootenai Health
magazine, we solicit tips from some of
our employees that we believe will be helpful to our readers in some way.
These tips come from a variety of specialties to help ensure quality, unique
answers. For this issue, we reached out to several of our Kootenai Clinic
physicians, all from different clinics and specialties. This is an important
point because oddly enough every physician came back with the same
answer to our question. What is the one thing they all believe patients can
do to improve their overall health and wellness? Exercise.
W H AT I S T H E N O . 1 T H I N G PAT I E N T S
C A N D O T O I M P R O V E T H E I R H E A LT H ?
Inside Kootenai
J E F F A L L E N , M . D .
Koo t ena i Cl i n i c Cancer Ser v i ces
“I am a big believer in maintaining an active
lifestyle. I always encourage my patients to get
out daily, whether through walking, running,
stretching, yoga, Pilates, etc.”
K E V I N W E B B , M . D .
Kootenai Clinic Gastroenterology and Endoscopy
“I’m not sure there is a No. 1 thing, but I defi-
nitely think you should live a healthy lifestyle in
general which includes eating a healthful diet
and getting plenty of exercise.”
C A T H E R I N E C H E S T E R , M . D .
Koo t ena i Cl i n i c I n t ernal Med i c i ne
“I would say, exercise. Regular exercise is good
for you at any age, and our bodies are meant to
move and be active. No matter what your current
state of health may be, exercise can help your
physical and mental health in numerous ways; it
is never too late to begin.”
HOW CAN I EASILY
INCORPORATE
EXERCISE INTO
MY DAILY ROUTINE?
Going to the gym or setting
aside an hour may not be an
option for everyone, but that
doesn’t mean you can’t fit
simple exercises into your
normal daily routine.
Walk or bike during your er-
rands.
Walk or ride your bike
instead of driving to do your
errands. If you don’t live within
walking or biking distance, drive
to a shopping center and walk
from shop to shop.
Take part in playtime.
Take
a lesson from your kids and
make time to play. Play soccer,
Frisbee, tag or climb on the
play equipment with them. If
you don’t have kids, play chase
or ball with your dog, or get a
group of friends together for a
pick-up game.
Add in extra steps.
Take the
stairs or park farther away at
work. Set a step goal and track
it with a pedometer or app to
reach your goal.
Add 15 to 30 minutes.
If you
already schedule time for walks
or other activities, challenge
yourself to make them a little
longer. Walk your dog an extra
15 minutes, spend 15 to
30 minutes working around the
house, or wake up a half-hour
earlier to do some stretching in
the morning.
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R E G A N H I L L , M . D .
Koo t ena i Cl i n i c OB-GYN
“I encourage all my patients to have a regular
exercise program. Even if it is only a daily
walk, mild to modest exercise has many health
benefits.”