How many of us have actually taken the time to sit down and develop a plan for health? How many of us just go day-to-day, constantly changing plans (or not making plans), just wondering, and hoping, we’ll stay healthy.
My experience has been that most of the people who come to me for personal coaching don’t really have a health plan in place. They drift from plan-to-plan trying to find something that meets their lifestyle needs.
My advice to those people and to anyone reading this article who doesn’t have a real health plan in place is this: Develop a workable health plan you can implement as soon as possible and use over the next six months. In six months, you can evaluate your progress and then make adjustments to continue improving your health and fitness.
I am going to give you an example of my health plan.
EATING HEALTH PLAN
1) 4 helpings of fresh fruit and vegetables daily.
2) 200 grams of quality protein every single day.
3) At least six, eight-ounce glasses of water a day.
4) A nutritional supplement plan I have designed for my age, activity level and health needs.
EXERCISE HEALTH PLAN
1) The CrossFit.com strength and conditioning program.
2) A weight-lifting routine (one body part per day, five days a week) and
3) Five minutes of flexibility, stretching and training.
My plan is simple enough that I can live it on a day-to-day basis, follow it fairly easily, and I can look at the numbers. Using the CrossFit plan, I narrow my results down to numbers so that everything can be followed. From this I can decide if I am improving, if I am getting worse or if I am staying the same.
In addition, I also track other “personal” numbers that tell me my fitness level. I look at my percent body fat. I look at the amount of weight I can bench press. I do this to ensure that I can always meet a minimum level of fitness. My minimum is to bench press at least 225 pounds, at least 10 times. I am able to do at least 40 push-ups and 40 sit-ups. My blood pressure is 130/80 or better, and I can run an eight-minute mile. These are my personal minimums. I won’t fall below this standard.
PREVENTIVE HEALTH PLAN
I also have a health plan for prevention.
The steps in my preventive health plan include:
1) Getting my PSA measured once a year.
2) Getting a physical exam once a year.
3) Checking my blood numbers once a year including: homocysteine, c-reactive protein (CRP), complete blood count (CBC), comprehensive metabolic panel (CMP), and lipid profile.
4) I also have an EKG once a year.
This is my health plan. What is yours? Have you sat down with your physician, trainer or nutritionist and decided what your health plan will look like?
If you really want to get fit and healthy and stay that way, I suggest you take the time to develop your own health plan today. It could make you live happier, healthier and even longer.
[Ed. Note: Need more help writing a health plan? Dr. Tim gives great advice in his book Health Plan for Life on what your health plan needs.]
Dr. Tim Reynolds is the managing parter for HealthCare Express. He is also the president and CEO of Dr. Tim, International, a company he founded in 2009 to allow him to share his passion for Living Every Minute with others. He dedicates countless hours each week to helping other people change their lives through mentoring, life building, giving inspirational talks and writing for his motivational newsletter, Adventures with Dr. Tim.
Dr. Tim was the first member of his family to graduate high school. He joined the military shortly after graduation. Dr Tim was a graduate of the Special Forces Q-course in July of 1982. He served as a Green Beret medic on an A-Team, as the Battalion medic and eventually as a Special Forces Battalion Surgeon for the 19th Special Forces Group (Airborne). He served both enlisted and as an officer for 17 years.
After getting out of the military, Dr. Tim was the first in his family to graduate college with honors. His passion for helping people inspired him to become a medical doctor, and in 1993 he graduated Summa Cum Laude with an MD degree from the University of Utah. He completed his Emergency Medicine residency at Texas A&M Scott and White in 1996 and is board certified in emergency medicine. Dr. Tim is the managing partner for HealthCARE Express, a group of urgent care clinics rapidly expanding across the United States.
Prior to starting HealthCARE Express in 2006, Dr. Tim held numerous positions across the medical field, including: medical director of the Wadley Regional Medical Center Emergency Department and level II trauma center; director, Texas College of Emergency Physicians Board of Directors; president of E-Med Services, LLP and of E-Med Billing Solutions, LLP; associate clinical professor for the Area Health Education Center at the University of Arkansas; founding member of the Greater People’s Clinic of Texarkana Board of Directors.
Dr. Tim speaks fluent Spanish, having lived in Guatemala and traveled throughout Central America.
In addition to his medical experience, Dr. Tim is also an entrepreneur and successful businessman. He is currently the chief executive officer of TL Reynolds Properties, LLP, a real estate investment company; and he is a managing partner of JJET Developments Ltd., a real estate development company.
Dr. Tim has served on numerous other committees and boards throughout both the medical and business communities and is published in various journals and publications. He is sought after as a presenter at many national conferences.
In his leisure time, Dr. Tim enjoys spending time on his Ranch in Atlanta, Texas, where he lives with his beautiful wife, Pam, and their five amazing children. He holds a black belt in Tae Kwon Do, is a SCUBA rescue diver, and a pilot. He also enjoys body building, golf, and hiking.
Dr. Tim is a world traveler, having visited six of the seven continents. He is a firm believer in living every minute of life and teaching others to do the same. His online website www.livingeveryminute.com allows him to reach thousands of people around the world as they subscribe to his weekly self-help and life improvement adventure newsletters.