By Dr. Rene Fernandez, MCOR Medical Director
At Ocean Reef, we are blessed with a myriad of healthy lifestyle opportunities. Daily, this community provides many opportunities for us to exercise and eat right, and there is consistent emphasis and reaffirmation of these healthy choices through our club’s many offerings. In fact, those who choose to live at Ocean Reef probably saw these opportunities as strong reasons to live here.
Because environmental or lifestyle choices likely accounts for the vast majority of chronic diseases – including adult onset diabetes, obesity, joint dysfunction, hypertension, heart attacks, strokes and peripheral artery disease – trying to improve and maintain your health is a worthy and full-time goal. The older one gets, the more important these efforts become. Preventing irreversible damage to our arteries and vital organs may mean we have to reverse bad habits and develop new good habits. Day in and day out, simple choices develop into patterns, patterns develop into ingrained habits, and over time those habits largely determine how we age.
In my opinion, the following would be a good prescription for ageing well: over long periods of time choose to exercise regularly, participating in sports, stay physically fit, eat no more total calories than needed to maintain a healthy weight, avoiding excess salt, avoid excess fat, avoid refined and processed foods, stay mentally and psychologically engaged and involved with all the things which bring meaning and joy into life. In the end, we are mostly a product of our choices and actions – of all our actions, large and small, repeated day after day over many years.
For those who are newly embarking on a more rigorous physical routine, they should strongly consider first getting a good physical exam at the Medical Center – to confirm that rigorous exercise is not contraindicated due to health concerns or risk factors. Such an exam is a good opportunity to involve a physician in your lifestyle plan which increases the odds that your plan will not only be safer, but also more successful. The Medical Center is committed to offering generous time and attention to patients and this allows for detailed and in-depth lifestyle advice as well.
We offer various types of physical exams. These include a traditional 1 hour exam with routine studies, an extensive 2 hour Executive physical with expanded studies, and even a very comprehensive 4 hour process included in our Wellness Program. Further details are available by contacting the Medical Center.
Screening procedures, physical therapy and many other services are available at your Medical Center, which is only a golf cart ride away. For an appointment, call the Medical Center at 367-6702.
As terrific as the Medical Center is, our staff understands that the goal is to spend less time in it and more time out on the water, on the golf courses, on the tennis courts, in the fitness center and spa, and enjoying that special Ocean Reef camaraderie.
The Medical Center at Ocean Reef is able to provide year-round special services because of the Medical Center Foundation Founders Society. To support the Founders Society or find out more, please call 367-4224.