A first in the fitness industry, Canadian fitness brand LIVE WELL Exercise Clinic has proven what many medical professionals have said for years: that many chronic conditions can be treated more effectively with exercise than medication.
According to LIVE WELL President and Founder Sara Hodson, international studies have already documented the benefits of exercising, but the brand wanted to prove this to its members, who are average people who may not enjoy exercise and have one or more chronic health conditions. Hodson added that while many people at its clinics are not typical gym-goers, they are making significant changes to their lifestyles and improving their health.
The brand's clinics are helping to bridge the gap between healthcare and fitness. Many chronic diseases are now the top causes of preventable deaths, and lifestyle changes are part of the first line of treatment for many of these conditions in the national guidelines, even before medication.
Unfortunately, outside the realm of academia, outcomes in the real world from fitness centers and gyms are few and far in between. This is why LIVE WELL decided to measure the health outcomes - including heart rate, weight and blood pressure - and the vital signs of some the everyday people visiting its clinics. Findings taken from a sample group of 200 members of the LIVE WELL program for six months included:
- Significant weight loss for heavier members, at an average of 26 pounds
- An average reduction of 19.4 mmHG in the systolic blood pressure of members with hypertension (systolic blood pressure over 140)
- A drop of 8.1 mmHG in systolic blood pressure on average
The risk of premature death lowers by 7 percent for every 5 percent of body weight lost. Other studies have shown that every 10mmHg drop in blood pressure can reduce the risk of premature death by 13 percent. Hodson noted that medications can also lower blood pressure by 5 mmHG to 10 mmHG, but this often comes with side effects that people don't experience when the reduction comes from exercise instead.
LIVE WELL members have enjoyed numerous exercise-related benefits, from anti-depressant reduction to lowering insulin. While the world of medicine is still struggling when it comes to adopting exercise as medicine for the patients who really need it, this brand has crafted a model that can boost the positive health outcomes for members with a range of chronic conditions.
Currently, this exciting fitness brand has 15 clinics in Ontario and the Metro Vancouver area who are working with over 2,000 physicians to prescribe needed lifestyle changes to patients. By the end of the year, LIVE WELL will have 20 locations. To learn more about this opportunity, visit them here today.
