The Exercise Program That Failed
Spirituality & Health|May/June 2017

And how Big Pharma can even crush the benefits of working out.

Andy Baxter
The Exercise Program That Failed

TERRI CAME TO MY GYM 17 months ago, after I gave a talk on fall prevention at a local theater. She arrived with an all-too-common list of maladies that are grouped under the heading of metabolic syndrome: hypertension, congestive heart failure, diabetes, fatigue, weakness, joint pain. She also has a low resting heart rate, known as bradycardia.

Terri asked me if my fitness program could help her, and I assured her that it could. I told her with absolute certainty that if she showed up consistently and followed the program, I could guarantee positive, measurable results. She had just listened to me preach the fitness gospel for 90 minutes. Now I challenged her to put that gospel into practice. And so she did, in earnest.

Terri was committed to the program. She was diligent, consistent, compliant, and devoted. Days turned to weeks, weeks to months, and months to seasons. Last September, Terri walked into the gym and made her way to my desk. We both knew it was her one-year anniversary, and I was beaming with pride as she approached to give me her victorious progress report.

“Andy, your program—(I was trying to remain humble in anticipation of her praise, at the same time getting ready to jump up and give her a big hug to congratulate her on her success)—is not working. My blood panels have shown NO improvement, I’m in pain, I’m tired all of the time, and I feel weak and depressed.”

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