Dr.'s Prescription for Health

HAPPY  50th  BIRTHDAY  CRAIG!

Here is my testimonial.....

Well, turning a half of a century old yesterday was a sobering reminder of the time that has passed. Keeping in shape has become a greater challenge with age but with Jeremy and CrossFit, I continue to be a work in progress.

While I was physically active when I was young, I ended up trimming back in medical school. The very long academic hours and lack of sleep made it difficult to exercise and I ended up working out my brain far more than my body. About eight years ago, my lack of physical activity began to show. Most members of my family have had weight problems and very early heart disease. I saw the changes starting and I decided I needed to take a different path.

In trying to get back in shape, I ended up blowing my right knee in Tae Kwon Do. After surgery, it was evident that I no longer had ACL in my right knee. I had a choice to rehab or have more surgery and I chose to try to strengthen the knee via rehab. It took an injury for me to become fully motivated to attain better health. After a few years of hard work, I was able to run 5K races, something I had never been able to do before.

I first met Jeremy at Fitness Advantage, then followed him over the next five years to a total of four gyms. I had other trainers in the past but none were hard, imaginative, understanding or as motivating. I was even with him when he first started the CrossFit training and have continued since.

As part of growing old and the warranty starting to "go out", there have certainly been a few setbacks including a torn psoas muscle, various joint and muscle injuries and a recent laparoscopic bilateral inguinal hernia repair (I told him he needed a lighter car for us to push!). There was no question that CrossFit has been the most difficult of exercise challenges but it has ultimately done the most overall good.

Exercise is my "therapy" and reduces my stress tremendously. Accomplishing in the gym has provided me with continued confidence & stamina in the office & even the operating room. There certainly are times, like everyone else, where I question why I work so hard. Without the workouts, however, I find that I start to feel the stress at the office and life more, my joints still hurt but in different ways and my weight starts to creep up. I also just couldn't tell my patients to exercise and loose weight unless I was willing to do the same. Now, I continue to try to lead by example for my staff, my patients and my family. Mostly though, I do it for myself.

Jeremy's motto of, "No Excuses!" and "Just shut-up and work!" are true to form. Excuses will always there. Illnesses and injuries will always come up. If however, you want to try to extend that “lifetime warranty”, I suggest you do what is necessary to make the changes you need and want to make. Start substituting the word "want" in "I want to work out" rather than the phrases such as "need to", "ought to", "should", "have to", "must" or "been told to". As soon as you want it, it will happen.

If a guy who is half a century old who often sees patients seven days a week can do it, so can you. Be an example for all of those around you, but most importantly, do it for yourself.

Good luck!

Craig R. Sweet, M.D.