In the 50-plus years of family practice here in southern Indiana, the physicians and providers at Southern Indiana Community Health Care have written a mountain of prescriptions. The cheapest and most effective one? It doesn’t come from the pharmacy, and it doesn’t have a copay. It’s the screen door. Open it, walk through it, and go enjoy the great outdoors.

It’s a great time to go beyond your screen door – July is National Park and Recreation Month. SICHC providers will take any excuse to nudge people off the couch, because here’s the truth they see in exam rooms most every week: the human body was not engineered to spend twelve hours folded into the shape of an office chair.

We were built to move—to walk, bend, carry, and work out a little. When we quit moving, things start to creak, stiffen, and file complaints. The medical term for sitting all day is “sedentary.” The Hoosier phrase might be: “fixin’ to feel terrible.”

Time to get on your feet

It’s actually pretty easy. No one is asking you to climb a mountain or run a marathon. You just need to get vertical and aim your feet for the door. 

The remarkable thing—and research backs this up—is that the benefit doesn’t live in the intensity. It lives in the consistency. Most days, a gentle twenty- or thirty-minute walk does honest work on your blood pressure, your blood sugar, your sleep, and your mood. 

Your body doesn’t know whether you’re on a treadmill or a trail. It just knows you finally got up.

Try something different

Want to try something different to fool your mind that you’re on a mini-vacation?  We are spoiled for places to do it. Indiana’s state parks alone offer something like 700 miles of trails, and a fair share of the prettiest ones are right here in our corner of the state. 

Spring Mill near Mitchell has shaded paths and a pioneer village that makes a walk feel like a history lesson. McCormick’s Creek, Brown County, Clifty Falls over by Madison, Harmonie down in New Harmony, O’Bannon Woods, the trails around Patoka Lake — any one of them will hand you sunshine, fresh air, and birdsong for the price of a modest entrance fee. That’s a bargain, considering what you might pay if a month of inactivity leads you to a medical office visit.

Want to set your sights a little higher? If you’re feeling more ambitious and want to chase one of the big national parks, you’ve got options closer than you’d think. Mammoth Cave in Kentucky sits about 177 miles south from my office in Crawford County—a comfortable day trip with a built-in air-conditioning system underground. And speaking of nearby underground air conditioning, Marengo Cave (an official US National Landmark) and Wyandotte Cave are right here in beautiful Crawford County. 

Our sole National Park, Indiana Dunes, is roughly four and a half hours away, where you can walk along the beach and call it cardio. Any of these options beats another afternoon negotiating with the recliner.

Some free medical advice before you go. 

• Take water—more than you think you need, because July and August in Indiana have opinions about humidity. 
• Wear a hat and some sunscreen; a painful sunburn is not a tan, it’s an injury. 
• Start slower than your pride wants to. If you’ve got a heart or lung condition, or you haven’t exercised since the Beatles had their last hit tune, Check with us first. That’s what we’re here for.
• And listen to your body. A little tired is the goal. A little dizzy is a signal to sit in the shade.

What’s one constant in decades of practicing medicine in southern Indiana? Nobody has ever come back from a walk in the woods and told our providers that they regretted it. They come back looser, calmer, and a shade more cheerful than when they left. That’s medicine you can’t bottle.

So this summer, take two laps around the lake, or the through the park. Just go outside through that screen door.

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has seen multiple generations of men over three decades of practice in southern Indiana.

The post Doctor’s Orders: Step Outside This Summer appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

After more than 30 years practicing medicine in rural southern Indiana, I’ve learned something important: the best health advice often isn’t found in complex medical journals or one-size-fits-all fitness programs. Ways to get and stay healthy comes from understanding how real people in real communities actually live.

Some patients tell me they can feel discouraged if they compare themselves to idealized images of gym culture or lose-weight-fast diets. But here’s what I’ve come to understand as a success path: the people who achieve lasting health improvements aren’t the ones who try to overhaul their entire lives overnight or make decisions based on negative experiences they’ve had about weight or food. The successful ones are people who make one thoughtful decision at a time, focusing on small, but sustained changes.

I understand from years of serving in southern Indiana that living in a rural area presents unique challenges to lift up changes and create a personal lifestyle that promotes health. Our gyms may be fewer, our fresh produce options more limited by availability, and our work sometimes demands labor that doesn’t always translate into fitness. 

Yet these same environments offer tremendous advantages. We have open spaces, quieter streets, stronger community connections, and often a culture that values self-reliance and practical problem-solving.

Just 1% improvement daily

An important point? The most successful patients I’ve worked with in elevating health started small. Here’s an amazing fact: if you’ve seen or read the book Atomic Habits, you’ll see from demonstrated research that all you have to do is just improve a mere 1% a day in making strides toward health. Over time, that adds up faster than you think. The power of sustained tiny gains is actually pretty impressive.

Oftentimes people simply don’t know where to start.  They may think “I want to lose weight,” or “I want to have more energy.” My suggestion is to focus on making small changes to improve health, which will be more sustainable and carry less emotional baggage.

Small steps to grow Stronger Every Day

There are many ways to start a positive lifestyle change. At Southern Indiana Community Health Care, we’re starting a free program to help people meet their healthy living goals. We’re working to make this fun and offer opportunities for people to see, experience, and sample different ways they can make it personal to themselves. People from throughout our service area (Crawford, Lawrence, and Orange counties) can take part. Get more details at https://sichc.org/stronger-every-day/? Or follow us on our Stronger Every Day Facebook group page.

Whatever you decide to do for improving health, here’s an important point: fitness doesn’t require perfection. It means identifying one small realistic change and committing to a small, sustained effort of just 1% improvement a day for just a few weeks. You may be surprised how quickly these small changes can become a healthy habit. If you choose to take part in our free Strong Every Day program, you can build a personalized program and privately track how you’re doing.

Small steps can lead to surprising changes

The health benefits of regular movement are profound. Beyond the obvious weight management and heart health advantages, physical activity reduces anxiety, improves sleep quality, strengthens bones, and helps prevent chronic diseases that rob our community members of quality years with their families.

Remember, every day offers a fresh opportunity to choose differently. Your body, at any age and fitness level, responds positively to movement and care.

And we’re not talking about becoming an athlete. Small choices compound into a healthier, fuller life. Ley’s all commit to growing stronger and healthier – every day!

A board-certified family physician, Dr. Curtis Thill has practiced medicine in Crawford County for more than 30 years.

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