South Bend, Indiana (WNDU) – Dr. Bob Casady of the South Bend Clinic joins News Now every Tuesday at noon to answer medical questions.
New Year. Many of us would like to create some new goals. So we went through our New Year’s health checklist with Dr. Bob!
Question 1: I would like to start with sleep. What’s a good way to make sure you get the rest you need?
Doctor.bob: There really isn’t a standard number of hours that everyone needs. A typical sleep time is 7-9 hours.
What I tell my patients is that if you don’t feel tired during the day and can take a nap, you are probably getting enough sleep. You probably need more sleep.
It is important to reduce stimulating things such as smartphones and TV about an hour before going to sleep. Instead, try taking a bath, listening to calming music, or reading a book.
Question 2: The next item on the checklist is diet. What are your tips for eating a balanced diet?
Doctor.bob: An important part of dieting is not to let perfection be the enemy of goodness.
What is your ideal weight? I am often asked. Typically, you need to lose 30-40 pounds to reach your ideal weight. This is not a constructive goal for most people.
Instead, work on losing 5-10% of your body weight. You can do this by working slowly and steadily over the course of a year.
Even if you don’t reach your ideal weight, there is evidence that moderate weight loss is good for your health.
Question 3: The last thing I want to mention is exercise. How much should I take per day?
Doctor.bob: Again, I don’t want to get bogged down by standard goals here. Technically, the American Heart Association recommends 150 minutes of moderate exercise per week.
For some people this will be an achievable goal. For someone who currently doesn’t exercise at all, this is probably not a good goal.
We recommend starting with 30 minutes of exercise a few days a week. Exercise doesn’t have to be strenuous. Something that will make your forehead sweat a little when you’re done is a good place to start.
If you can achieve these small goals, you can confidently achieve them.
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