Tag Archive for: flu shot

Three Challenges

/in /by

This weekend is the last holiday of the summer or the first of the fall, depending on how you look at it. I’d like to challenge you to try three different tasks if they are not part of your regular routine. I’ve talked about high-intensity interval workouts a lot the past couple of months. I’m also going to be talking about weight training soon, and the change in weather is coming. Here are three challenges with limited explanations.

HIIT

No matter where your fitness level is now, you can increase your fitness level faster with HIIT than continuous training—that’s why I want you to try some form of interval workout at least once. It can be on any piece of aerobic workout equipment or none at all. The basic concept is to warm up, increase the pace or the resistance for 30 to 90 seconds and then back into easy pace for about 3 minutes. Then repeat the cycle 4 or 5 times. Try that twice this week. Stay within any limitations your physician has given you.

Deadlift

The deadlift is one of the most basic lifts in weight training. You begin with the barbell on the floor, and keeping your back straight, you lift the barbell until your knees lock. Then repeat. The heavier the weight you can lift, the more overall body strength you can gain. It involves the hands, buttock, thigh, calf, core, trapezius, lats, deltoids, and dozens of small core muscles.

Proceed with caution—you must protect your lower back! For some of you, it may be simply standing up from a chair with your hands hanging at your sides. It may also be standing on an exercise tube, feet a shoulders width apart, and standing up, upper body erect, while holding on to the tube. Light dumbbells. Heavy dumbbells. Barbell. Machine at your gym. The number of repetitions and sets are up to you. But as you do it, lift with your legs, not your back. Try it twice over the next week. Remember, respect your orthopedic limitations. This is an exercise for overall strength. It may take time to build up strength in your lower back, but we all have to start somewhere.

Flu Shot

Schedule and get your flu shot. Check to make sure you’re up to date on your tetanus shot as well. Get it done now.

I know some of you are not fans of vaccinations. I know that many people say, “The only time I got a flu shot, I got the flu.” Actually, that demonstrates how weak your immune system really was. We don’t get the flu shot not to get the flu; we get the flu shot to stimulate the immune system to get ready for other similar viruses. You still may get the flu or some other virus, but your immune system will be better able to handle it. It may end up being a milder case. I’ll be covering research on this in the near future. The challenge stands. Paula and I will be getting ours along with Riley and his mom.

I hope you enjoy the last holiday before Thanksgiving; I’ll be back in your inbox next week. Let’s see how you do on the three challenges I threw down before then.

What are you prepared to do today?

        Dr. Chet

Flu Shot: Yes or No?

/in /by

Every year I get asked the same question: Should I get a flu shot? Most of the time, I tell people that it’s really up to their health. Do they have a compromised immune system? Are they older? Are they pregnant? Do they have small children? Most people decide that they probably won’t. I would have included myself in that group but not any more. I’m getting a flu shot this year and every year because of an article Paula forwarded to me from Popular Science.

You typically hear the same arguments about why you should or shouldn’t get a flu shot, but the author in the article used a different approach: the flu shot is not to prevent you from getting the flu, it’s to reduce the risk you pass it along to one of those at-risk groups I mentioned earlier. If you’re healthy and young, you probably won’t get very sick if you get the flu and the risk of getting hospitalized or worse is low. But for your children, your parents, your grandparents, friends or coworkers with compromised immune systems, and even strangers whose paths you cross, the results could be very different.

I checked the CDC stats on the cases of flu, hospitalizations, and death from the flu. While the numbers vary due to the severity of the flu in any given season, every year between 9 million to 36 million people will get the flu, 140,000–710,000 will be hospitalized, and 12,000–56,000 will die. The author estimated that it would take vaccination of 80% of the population to protect the most at-risk groups, and we get nowhere near that many people vaccinated.

You’ve probably heard a lot of misinformation about the flu shot, but the article reminds us:

  • You can’t get the flu from the flu shot.
  • It takes a few weeks for the vaccine to kick in, so if you get sick right after the shot it was just a coincidence.
  • If you still get the flu, the vaccine helps you fend off life-threatening complications.

So now my questions will be different. Do you know anyone with a compromised immune system? Do you know anyone who’s older? Do you know anyone who’s pregnant? Do you know anyone with small children? Do you ever see anyone out in public who would fit into any of those categories?

Unless you can answer no to all those questions, get the flu shot every year. It may or may not prevent you from getting the flu, but it might keep someone you care about from getting it.

What are you prepared to do today?

Dr. Chet

 

References:
1. https://www.popsci.com/you-should-get-flu-shot
2. https://www.cdc.gov/flu/about/disease/burden.htm

 

The Big Chill: Do You Need a Flu Shot?

/in /by

In this final installment of The Big Chill, I’m going to take a look at flu shots: should you get one or not? Before I do that, a word about echinacea.
Echinacea
Many readers have read that echinacea shouldn’t be used long term or used at all if you have an autoimmune disease such as rheumatoid arthritis. The problem is that there are no studies to support either position and no studies to suggest it’s harmful, either. In that situation, the approach is always to proceed with caution until we know more. The only problem with waiting . . .

We're sorry, but this content is available to Members and Insiders only.

If you're already a DrChet.com Member or Insider, click on the Membership Login link on the top menu. Members may upgrade to Insider by going to the Store and clicking Membership; your membership fee will be prorated automatically.