My last annual checkup with my doctor did not go well. He told me that my health had deteriorated since the last time he saw me a year ago. I had gained 22 pounds, that was the most obvious thing. He also told me that my blood pressure and cholestorol levels had gone up. That concerned me a lot, but didn't surprise me.
Ever since I changed careers from construction to becoming a bus driver for New York transit, my lifestyle and health habits began to change. I went from manual labor five days a week to sitting on my butt all day long (and then doing the same on weekends). I also got lazy with my eating habits. I went from packing myself nutritious lunches to stopping at whatever fast food place I could and scarfing down my meal on the bus. I went from snacking on fruits to snacking on donuts. I stopped caring about my body, and a year later, it showed.
I had to change my lifestyle. I knew the basics ... exercise more, eat healthier. But I needed motivation, some advice, some direction. My doctor gave me a free audio book cassette to listen to. So I listened to it on my way to work, and it was full of easy things I could do to be more healthy. I used many of the suggestions, such as jogging twice a week, push-ups and sit-ups every morning, and the most obvious one - no more fast food.
I returned to my doctor a few months ago, and he hardly recognized me. Because of the audio tapes, I had lost the 22 pounds (and then some), lowered my blood pressure and cholestorol, and developed great eating habits that will last me a lifetime. I would recommend audio books to anyone that needs some self-help and motivation to live a better and healthier lifestyle!
