“Okay, what’s it going to really take to get healthier?” We sometimes hear this question in our clinic, usually right after a mention of the words “lifestyle changes.”

Here’s some good news: getting started on better health doesn’t require an expensive gym membership or giving up pizza forever. For about the same cost as a large fast-food meal you can buy some simple wearable health tech – like a fitness tracker – that might just change your life.

We’re not talking about those fancy $400 smartwatches that cost more than a car payment. We’re talking about basic fitness trackers or used smartwatches in the $20-$40 range. Think of it as hiring a tiny personal trainer for your wrist—one that never yells at you or makes you do endless sit-ups.

What can these little devices actually do?

Wearables often are surprisingly helpful. They can count your daily steps, remind you to move around and can even track your heart rate and sleep patterns. It’s been said a tracker is like having a polite friend who gently nudges you to take better care of yourself.

The best part? Your health information stays private. Your tracker won’t gossip about your midnight snack habits or tell your neighbor how many steps you didn’t take yesterday.

Do they actually work?

The answer is yes, they can – and do – help. Even small changes—like walking an extra 1,000 steps a day—can boost your energy, improve your mood, and help with weight management. Once they embrace some basic exercise, many discover they sleep better than they thought they could.

These devices won’t judge you like a stern gym teacher. Instead, they quietly encourage you to do a little better today than yesterday, based on goals you set for yourself.

Beyond step counting

Other advances in personal healthcare technology are also available. At our health center, we’ve seen great results with remote blood pressure monitors over the past few years. For patients with high blood pressure, these devices help track how well medications are working and can help catch problems early—sometimes with just a quick phone call. Just knowing that can bring peace of mind.

Newer technology includes affordable glucose monitors that connect to smartphones. For people with diabetes, these can alert you to blood sugar changes without the finger pricks. They’re so small you’ll probably forget you’re wearing them.

The Bottom Line

Here’s something to remember: the cost of a fitness tracker is much less than one trip to the emergency room. Plus, using health-related wearables is expected to help lower healthcare costs—good news for both your health and your wallet.

How hard is it? If you can text your family about weekend plans or check the weather on your phone, you can use one of these trackers. Most work perfectly fine with regular smartphones, and you won’t need a computer science degree to figure them out.

Start small and affordable: you don’t need expensive equipment to begin improving your health. A basic $20-$40 fitness tracker can provide the motivation and data you need to make positive changes.

Every step counts: small improvements like walking an extra 1,000 steps daily can lead to real health benefits including better energy, mood, and weight management. Your tracker helps you build these habits gradually.

Prevention pays off: investing in a simple health monitor today costs far less than dealing with health problems later. These devices can help catch issues early and can help keep you connected with your healthcare team.

Perhaps next time you’re tempted by a junk food quick fix, why not consider saving those dollars for a new wearable fitness tracker? And remember, the Lost River traveling Farm Stand will be near you throughout the summer, into fall. Try some fresh fruit and vegetables right off the farm – your future self (and healthcare providers) will thank you.

(Traveling Farm Stand schedule: https://www.lostrivercoopcafe.com/farmstand)  

This information is presented as a public service by Southern Indiana Community Healthcare.

The post You can wear it – life-enhancing health tech appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

February is officially heart health month.

There are a many reasons to raise awareness about what you can personally do to promote the health of your heart today. The health of your heart figures high in the quality of your life, both now and in the future.

Higher quality of life

Healthy hearts and circulatory systems can directly contribute to higher levels of energy and general enjoyment of life, especially as one grows older.

But in my many years as a family physician in southern Indiana, I find that people can too often take the health of their heart for granted, regardless of their age. What’s bad about that? Not taking care of business in eating balanced meals, getting reasonable and regular exercise, and adopting other health steps can take an alarming toll over time.

With some exceptions, heart disease typically develops slowly over a long period of time. As you go about your daily routine, nothing seems to be wrong. Then, one day, a sudden radiating pain in your chest, arm, or jaw (or other symptoms) signals that something is going rapidly in the wrong direction. A serious heart attack may be underway, requiring immediate medical attention. 

The point to consider, especially in this month? Heart disease remains the leading cause for death in America. That’s the bad news.

The good news is that you can often take action to promote the health of your heart. Doing so involves understanding what risk factors can contribute to heart issues. 

Understand the risk factors

At any age – young or old or in-between – it’s very important for people to understand their personal risk factors. Taking action now can help keep your heart in good shape and promote a long and satisfying life. Working alongside a medical provider can help you understand the current condition of your heart and steps you may need to consider. (You can read some good free medical information and view some short videos at https://sichc.org/follow-my-heart/)

An important part of understanding what you face is knowing your own family history. Does heart disease run in your family? If so, you may need to be more attentive and start preventative measures earlier than others.

Risk of heart disease increases as you grow older, with men generally at higher risk than women until a woman reaches menopause. After that, the risk of heart disease is about equal.

Other conditions like high blood pressure/hypertension, high cholesterol, or diabetes also can elevate risk of heart disease.

Strive for a balanced diet

A chief lifestyle change you can make to help boost your heart health is to eat a diet with plenty of fruits and vegetables, whole grains, and lean, low-fat proteins.

Realistically, as a long-time physician living and working in a rural setting, I know from long experience that it can be a challenge to do this. Many people face a challenge in  getting to a grocery store that sells fresh vegetables, and fast food is quick and easy, especially when you have time constraints. 

But it’s important to find ways to do this.

Get in some walks and regular activity

Indiana just went through one of its coldest Januarys, but things are improving. Regular moderate exercise helps strengthen your heart and blood circulation, so try to work on this. Remember, sustained small improvements add up quickly. 

Get regular checkups

Finding out where you are and monitoring key vital signs like blood pressure remain critically important. Find a medical provider to go with you on this journey and boost your heart health today!

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

The post Boost Your Heart Health Today appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

As you’re reading this, your heart is busy pumping vital blood all over your body through a vast and complex network of veins, arteries, and capillaries. How long would this system be if laid end to end? An unbelievable 60,000 miles, twice the circumference of the earth.

By this time tomorrow, the heart beating in your chest will have pumped upwards of 2,000 gallons of blood. The point? Your heart holds the singular distinction of being a marvelous, powerful, and many-faceted organ.

Since February marks heart health month, let’s delve into three crucial aspects to safeguard your remarkable, resilient organ.

As a long-time physician, I first want to establish that heart health isn’t just a medical concern; it’s a shared journey. That means that as a trusted healthcare partner, I focus on telling the truth.

Truth in this case includes the fact that heart disease is the number one cause of death in America. But this story ends on a positive note, so please read on.

Take care. The first – and perhaps most simple – thing that you need to know about your heart is that you have to take care of it. It just beats away mostly unnoticed in your chest, but it’s usually one of the first things we medical providers check. Why? Simply put, if it stops, you stop.

So heart health is critically important to us. And you should think about sharing in that.

Here’s a hard fact about life in our region: the levels of cardiovascular (heart) disease in Crawford County and the region trend higher than both the state and national averages. Given that fact, the second thing you can consider about your heart is that this statistic might include you. But you have the ability to stay ahead of the curve!

Slow and stealthy. Related to the second need-to-know item is that heart disease is often slow and stealthy as it advances. Without learning more about heart health and getting regular checkups, many people often express surprise when heart-related symptoms of fatigue, shortness of breath, or pain – or worse – appear.

Dr. Peter Attia, author of the currently popular Outlive book, tells a sobering story about this. When he was in medical school, his pathology professor asked what was then the most common symptom of advanced heart disease? The unsettling answer? Sudden death.

Of course, the good news here is that advancements in treatment and intervention have significantly lowered that number. But the plain truth is that sudden fatal outcome from a heart attack still represents about a third of all cases.

You can lower your risks. This leads to the third thing you need to know about your heart: heart disease is preventable in many cases. Sometimes your genes may deal you a life situation (did your parents or siblings ever have a heart attack or stroke?), but you can still do something about it. The key point here is that you can make changes and potentially improve heart health at any age or time, but it’s really important to start early.

The main takeaway? Now is the time to do something for you and your heart. It’s always good to get advice from your provider. There also exist good online resources, including suggestions from SICHC’s own Donna Charles, LPN, CHW. Check out her short video at https://bit.ly/FollowMyHeart-CHC

 The time to act is now – take charge of your heart health and reduce risks today!

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

The post Three Critical Things about You and Your Heart appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.

While you’re reading this, your heart pumps roughly 1.5 gallons of blood per minute, reaching around 100,000 heart beats a day. No other organ in your body is as vital to life. The 37 trillion cells in your body depend on it.

That’s why physicians and providers spend a lot of time working to keep your heart healthy. Here’s a wake-up fact followed by some good news: cardiovascular disease, including issues related to the heart, is the world’s number one cause of death. The good news? Engaged patients can directly reduce the odds of heart disease and improve the health of their hearts (and their quality of life), which is exactly what’s happening to many in our region.

Earlier in 2022 we at Southern Indiana Community Health Care started up our Follow My Heart program and the performance numbers are excellent for those who actively participate. Two of our medical staff, Donna Charles, LPN, CHW and Cynthia Gillespie, CMS, CHW have helped many patients in the Crawford County region lower their blood pressure and improve their health. Thier advice to you? “You can do it!”

Why is this important? Blood pressure earned the nickname the “silent killer” because people typically can’t feel it when their blood pressure is high. Left untreated, high blood pressure – hypertension – can lead to all kinds of problems, some potentially irreversible. As people age, their blood vessels typically stiffen which contributes to hypertension and other issues. Donna and Cynthia (and our other providers) help our patients reduce their risks and improve their health.

So it’s in your best interest to learn more, which is why every February is designated National Heart Health Month.

Here’s an important issue: when I tell patients that they have high blood pressure, often I hear comments that they’re planning to do something about it. As many patients have found out, they can indeed take charge of the blood pressure and bring it down!

Here’s one way: through the Follow My Heart program, we give our patients a free blood pressure remote monitor. In the program, which lasts for three short months, Donna and Cynthia provide details about how patients can take their own blood pressure at home. They also provide information about the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), including a free book of tasty, easy-to-prepare recipes. 

The good news? The Follow My Heart program works! The free monitor instantly tells the patient how they’re doing and also securely sends the data to our offices. Coupled with medication and some simple changes in lifestyle, engaged patients watch their blood pressure come down and their heart health improve.

(Donna provides more details in a short two-minute video on our YouTube channel: https://bit.ly/FollowMyHeart-CHC) 

Regardless of whether you engage in our Follow My Heart program or another program, you can take steps yourself to promote a healthy heart and reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease. 

Get Moving

As we age, we often slow down and stop exercising. Your heart can benefit from simple exercises like regular walking for 20-30 minutes. 

Eat fresh foods

It’s easy to grab a box of macaroni and call it a meal. That’s okay once in a while, but your body – and your heart – need fresh vegetables.

Stop smoking

Yes, this is a tough one, but it has a high payoff.

Find a partner to help

There are many good providers in our area, and they can be a big help. You don’t have to go it alone.

Make this February your Good Heart Health month and reap the benefits!

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

The post Good News for Your Heart appeared first on Southern Indiana Community Health Care.