How exercise can make you a better doctor

Patients are more likely to listen to physicians who are healthy, researchers have shown. A physician who is mentally alert, energetic, and maintains a healthy weight inspires a certain degree of confidence. Researchers have shown that patients are more likely to listen to physicians who are healthy. Devoting just 5 minutes a day to exercise can make a world of difference. Your body and mind will thank you—and so will your patients. By the same token, a physician’s fitness (or lack thereof) may affect his or her patient care. In a survey of 500 primary care physicians, researchers found that a doctor’s own size affected how he or she managed a patient with weight issues. Ultimately, overweight physicians were less likely to broach the topic of weight loss with heavy patients—with a staggering 93% of doctors diagnosing obesity in their patients only if they believed that their own weight was equal to or less than that of their patients. With over 20% of American adults currently affected by obesity —a chronic disease that costs the US healthcare system nearly $150 billion annually, and increases the risks of many other dangerous health conditions like heart disease and stroke—leading by example is more important than ever. After all, you can’t ask your patients to take care of themselves if you aren’t doing the same. Doctors are in a unique position to not only mitigate the severity of obesity epidemic, but indirectly influence the overall health of their patients on several levels. Practicing self-care, which is often overlooked by physicians themselves, is the first step. With this in mind, let’s take a closer look at different types of physical activity that can improve your health and fitness, as well as boost your productivity in clinical practice. Productivity We all know that physical […]

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