You've heard of preventive medicine, now get ready for preventive fitness

If there is one point that has emerged clearly during this confusing era of health care reform, it's that you, the consumer, will have to chart your own course for good health. That means that you, not the medical system, should be in the driver's seat, reclaiming a level of self-responsibility toward your own health and longevity that people haven't practiced for at least a century.

Conventional wisdom over the past 50 years has maintained that the responsibility for your health was chiefly the domain of the medical establishment. Those days are over. Not only can't you afford the price tag of comprehensive medical supervision in regard to health maintenance, but that kind of scientific and social conditioning was never very good for your drive to stay well. It enforced a helplessness and lack of accountability all in all a greater toll on your overall well-being.

Never before have we had so much overwhelming scientific evidence to back what everybody's grandparents knew to be true: Good nutrition, regular exercise and common sense health habits are essential components of an active, vibrant life. If these daily habits are adequately stocked in your wellness "bank accounts," then you have a good reo serve when it comes to withstanding the occasional bout of flu or even forging your way through a more substantial health crisis. However, if you settle for underexercise, poor nutrition and a pervasive attitude that your health is not within your control, then you've got some work to do. Preventive fitness may be just the Rx. The good news is there is plenty of support.

To explain preventive fitness, I'll first have to retrace a bit of wellness history. Preventive medicine, the precursor to preventive fitness, focuses on developing certain behaviors linked with lowering the risk of disease and premature death and disability. As a practice, it is generally under the auspices of the medical community. It is the first foray into recognizing that how we live actually affects disease process--a revolutionary concept for many physicians about 20 years ago. Since then, health educators and various allied health promotion professionals have skillfully developed the art and science of wellness, a more holistically oriented approach toward mental, physical and sometimes spiritual well-being. Between the two--preventive medicine and health promotion-- an active campaign has been launched by allied health organizations, fitness groups, medical societies, government and educators to turn around the health habits of 250 million Americans. Today, the consumer hears approximately 7,000 media messages per week on the following topics:

* Cessation of smoking

* High cholesterol

* Heart disease and stroke

* High blood pressure

* Cancer prevention

* Osteoporosis and other forms of arthritis

* Obesity and weight management

The dangers of inactivity are now managing to move up the list as we take into account that sedentary lifestyle affects a multitude of risk factors, such as cholesterol, excess weight, high blood pressure, heart disease, osteoporosis and unhealthy behaviors such as smoking. Charting your course for good health requires asking the right questions and finding the right answers.

* How can I achieve physical fitness?

* How do I not drop out?

* Where do I get long-term guidance?

* Should I treat this injury myself?

* What can my kids do to stay fit?

No one is better equipped to tackle these questions and other related challenges than the AFAA Fitness Practitioner. In one-onone counseling sessions, the AFP offers expert training and specific information to enhance health and fitness at every age. Much more than a personal trainer, the AFP is a trusted counselor who can interface with primary care providers, fitness facilities, recreational centers, hospitals, insurance companies and clients themselves to offer a vital fitness link in the emerging health care network. Serving as a gatekeeper for fitness and wellness aspects of a consumer's life, the AFP embodies the philosophy of "Fitness Management for Life(TM)," which is the new slogan of the AFP campaign.

Fitness Management for Life(TM) is comprehensive, reliable information and handson help to control, reduce and reverse all those risk factors that contribute to our soaring medical costs. Fitness Management for Life(TM) is the ever-expanding tool belt of the AFP, who provides stress management, fitness expertise and sound nutritional guidance toward a more active, healthier life.

We can just imagine doctors nationwide writing the prescription of the future: "I want you to put a healthy stride in your life. I'm going to have you see our AFP today."

The AFP plays a vital role in the new age of preventive fitness. For more information, contact AFAA president Linda D. Pfeffer, R.N., at (800) 446-2322 ext. 247.

Peg Jordan, R. N., is editor-at large of American Fitness and serves on the California Governor 's Council for Physical Fitness and Sports.

Statements on the Benefits of Regular Exercise