https://paulnystrom.com/tags/exercise/Recent content in Exercise on Paul NystromHugoen-usTue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/do-you-have-any-medical-problems/Tue, 17 Feb 2026 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/do-you-have-any-medical-problems/<p>Do you have any medical problems?</p> <p>I ask patients this question frequently. Some immediately get irritated with me and tell me to “just look in the computer.” And as with every patient, I do look in the medical record regarding their prior medical problems, recent clinic/ER visits/hospital admissions, and medications. However, asking the question tells me a lot about how tuned in they are to their medical problems, and it gives me some idea of their medical literacy. Their involvement and degree of concern about their medical problems often figure into whatever is going on.</p>https://paulnystrom.com/posts/dont-consult-a-physician-before-exercise/Sun, 26 Oct 2025 00:00:00 +0000https://paulnystrom.com/posts/dont-consult-a-physician-before-exercise/<p>The advice to ask your doctor before starting an exercise program has no basis in science, as far as I know. It’s primarily a CYA (cover your ass) disclaimer. Virtually everyone in the fitness industry has adopted it, so it’s stated almost everywhere:</p> <ul> <li>Gyms, fitness centers, and health clubs</li> <li>Fitness equipment: weight-lifting machines, treadmills, stationary bikes, elliptical machines, etc.</li> <li>Websites</li> <li>Magazines</li> <li>Fitness books</li> </ul> <p>Apparently, we assume people are too incompetent to exercise without first consulting someone else. Ironically, they’re instructed to ask a physician, a person unlikely to have expertise in exercise unless they’ve pursued it independently. As I mentioned earlier, my medical education included no lectures on exercise. I suspect that hasn’t changed much in most medical schools today.</p>