November 16, 2025 • 40 mins
Dr. Galati starts the program talking about the opportunity he had last week to speak at a law firm about men's health. He also has Kathy Fenelon join the show to talk about hiking. She explains all the benefits, the importance of doing it with your children, and the steps of easing into a hiking mentality.
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Initialize sequence.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Coming to you live from Houston, Texas, home to the
world's largest medical center. Bunch everything looking.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Time.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is your Health First, the most beneficial health program
on radio with doctor Joe Galotti. During the next hour
you'll learn about health, wellness and the prevention of disease.
Now here's your host, doctor Joe Bellotti.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Well look at Sunday evening to everybody, Doctor Joe Galotti,
your pre to your health First. We here we Sunday
between seven and eight pm Central Time, broadcasting from our
world headquarters on forty PPR H here in Houston and
broadcasting around the globe on the iHeartRadio app. Our website
(01:08):
Doctor Joegalotti dot com. Go there to sign up for
our newsletter, check out old programs. All of our health
and wellness nutrition information is there. Links to our social
media is there. And of course you could send me
a message. That is the best part of the program.
This is a two way program. I speak and you
(01:29):
respond give me feedback. But you have to go to
doctor Joegalotti dot com. That's the place to go. So
on the program tonight. Hey, by the way, this you
know what is it? November sixteenth, and my thermometer in
my backyard register about eighty six degrees, pretty warm for November.
(01:53):
I've got friends around the country, mostly East Coast, some
in the Mountain States, and it is fall, it is
full on fall. But I'm sitting in the backyard with
a pair of running shorts and a T shirt with
my feet in the pool. So that is the benefit
(02:14):
of living in Houston, Texas. But that is what it's
all about. So let's see coming up in a little while,
Caffe Fenlon, We're going to talk about hiking. Now. Hiking
has always been a big part of my life since
I was probably in middle school high school. With friends,
(02:38):
one of the things we always would do was go hiking.
And living in New York, all we had to do
is drive about an hour hour and a half outside
of metropolitan New York and you would be in some
of the most beautiful mountains and hiking areas. It's called
the Catskills, and we always would hike. That was our fun,
(03:04):
that was our entertainment, was hiking, and so I hiked
all through high school. I hiked all through college, medical school, residency.
When I was a resident in New York, the vacation
time that I had, I was single, I wasn't married.
(03:24):
I would usually get with one of my college roommates
and we would spend one to two weeks hiking at
the Grand Canyon, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California, and it
was just great. And this has transmitted now to my family.
And when we had young children, we would all go
(03:45):
hiking and camping together. But even recently we connected with
some friends that relocated from the Houston area to Georgia,
and what did we do. We all went hiking. So
it is a great sport. It's a great form of exercise. Now,
as I've said before, I am battling a bad knee.
(04:07):
You'll probably hear more about this in the weeks to come,
but I'll be going for a knee replacement in the
next three weeks. I'll give you updates on that. But
I think part of it is part of it is genetic.
I believe it's sad to say, but bad knees may
run in the family. But recently, hiking in the Canadian
(04:31):
Rockies and Pacific Northwest, you know, my knees just could
not handle it. So that is a big part of
my quality of life and enjoyment. And that is the
point of where I have to get this fixed. But anyway,
Kathy is going to be coming on for a good
part of the program talking about hiking. Think about hiking
(04:53):
as a form of exercise. You could hike anywhere. You
could hike in Houston, you could hike in San Antonio,
you could hike up in Tyler, Texas. You could hike
in Sacramento, California. Anywhere it does, It does not matter.
So it's always great to hear from Kathy. The other
thing is the month of November is Men's Health Awareness Month,
and on Thursday I had the opportunity to speak at
(05:17):
a law firm in town to the employees and the
lawyer partners about men's health, and I would say the
main things about men's health. First of all, the discussion
of men's health or men's health awareness. Yes, this is
talking about men males. But also we want women to
(05:40):
be involved in the conversation because if you are a woman,
you are the girlfriend, wife, a sister, a good friend, coworker,
and you see that a guy is not feeling well,
or he's complaining about a certain symptom, or he's dragging,
or he tells you that he has chest pain, shortness
(06:00):
of breath, or you observe something like that, you really
want to get that person to be evaluated. So when
we talk about men's health, a couple of highlight things.
First of all, men compared to women, don't go to
the doctor, and that is a problem. And there was
a research study that said the majority of men would
(06:24):
rather do household chores like cut the grass and clean
the toilet rather than go to the doctor. So you
may say, well, that's pretty funny and it's an interesting fact,
but what this is basically telling us is that these
barriers why men don't like to go to the doctor
(06:47):
is creating a lapse in timely evaluation. So instead of
checking with the doctor, the first time you see blood
in your stool, you're going to drag your feet, and
days turns into weeks, turns in two months, and of
course it could be something more serious like colon cancer,
(07:10):
and you missed that opportunity for a rather easy diagnosis
where you have a much better outcome. So if you
have men in your life, you want to get them
to the doctor. That's number one. Number two. The other
things that are male specific is certainly prostate cancer. We've
(07:32):
talked about prostate cancer many times on the program. This
controversy with the PSA prostate specific antigen blood test, But
in the urologists that I know and trust that are
in this prostate cancer space, certainly getting the PSA is
something you want to do. And again be on the
(07:54):
lookout for symptoms of difficulty urinating or pain when you urinate,
or blood in your urine. The other thing that I
talked about, which was a little comical, if you could say,
is a rectile dysfunction, and it is very prevalent with men,
(08:15):
especially over fifty. But the main take home here when
you're talking about a rectile dysfunction, the plan is not
to buy viagra or Cilis online and get a nondescript
brown box in your mail, keeping it very hush hush.
(08:35):
It is not to simply go to your PCP and say, hey, hey, doc,
I'm having a little ed. Just call in some viagrafor me,
or borrow viagra from a colleague. That's really not the thing. Usually,
if you are suffering from a rectile dysfunction, there is
typically typically some other potential medical problem on the horizon.
(09:00):
It may be hypertension, it may be live a disease,
it may be diabetes some other cardiovascular issues. So you
don't want to simply put a band aid on this
and say a rectile dysfunction equals getting viagra. Not necessarily
the answer. You should go for a thorough medical evaluation.
(09:20):
All right, Well we're going to take a quick break here.
Kathy Fenlon is coming on talking about hiking. Don't forget,
doctor Joegalatti dot com is our website. I hope you
have a somewhat cooler evening. It did get pretty warm today,
but it is enjoyable. All right, say tune we will work.
I sure hope you are all listening to your health first.
(09:43):
And don't forget. If you are traveling or on the road,
or you have a relative anywhere in the United States,
the free iHeartRadio app will have you tune into the program.
I think that's pretty pretty cool that we're able to
do that. And as I was saying, and don't forget,
(10:04):
doctor Joglotti dot com is our website. And as I
was saying earlier in the program, I just came back
from a trip to the Pacific Northwest. We went hiking
at Olympic National Park. And if there's one topic I
love to talk about personally as well as sharing the experiences.
Is hiking and on the line is a dear friend,
(10:28):
a neighbor, and I would say regular contributor to all
that we do. Kathy Fenlon, Kathy, welcome to the program.
I think this is the first time you've been on
the radio with me.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I believe you're correct. I'm happy to be here, Joe.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
All right, So hiking. You know, the way I always
talk about it to friends and colleagues, and certainly to
my patients is that this is one of many forms
of exercise. You just really can't get away from it.
The way I describe hiking is walking on an uneven surface,
(11:06):
and that that really is the most simple way to
look at it. But I look at it as a
great activity for a couple or groups of people. It
is a form of exercise, and it's a way to
really see the great outdoors and the positive emotional things
(11:28):
it does for your your human psyche. So you and
your family have been hikers pretty much as long as
I've known you, coming on thirty years. So why don't
you give your no pun intended, thirty thousand foot view
(11:48):
of hiking in general to everybody tonight on the radio.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Okay, well, I think of hiking not as exercise, but
as free exercise. You're getting the benefit fit of working
your body while not even realizing you're doing it, because
you're enjoying yourself so much. We almost every one of
our vacations is a hiking vacation, whether it be in
(12:15):
a national park, whether it is in a state park,
different states. Everywhere we go, we hike, and hiking can
be you know, walking through the London street. But I
think what you're really referring to, Joe is hiking on
(12:37):
the trails, seeing nature. And to me, what you mentioned
before about the mind body connection is so true. There
is nothing that calms your mind and therefore your body
like being in nature.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Right and you know it, Yeah, you know. So much
is written about the stress we're over now. I am
sure that everybody listening tonight may themselves say I am
stressed out. I talk to my patients. They have a family,
they have a job, they're living okay, but they will
(13:15):
all sneak into the conversation. But I am stressed out.
I would think a non pharmacologic intervention is to get outdoors.
What do you think of that?
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Absolutely, I absolutely agree I have to tell you many
many years ago, when I had four young children, I
said to my obgyn went for my check up, and
I said, oh, I'm so stressed, and he immediately wanted
to prescribe medicine. Yes, what I wanted him to say
was you need to take time for yourself and go
(13:51):
to the gym, go to yoga class, walk, And that's
how I solved the stress. Of course, the stress when
you're working and have children ever goes away, but it
certainly helps you manage it, conduct yourself as you should. Yeah,
I mean doing it at the same time.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Yeah, it's it's an outlet. You have to have this
outlet of energy and emotion, and there's something incredibly calming
when you're outside you hear nature. And I would almost say, Kathy,
and I'd like to hear your thought on it. A
lot of people, they spent their entire life in a
inner city environment. They may have been born and bred
(14:33):
in Houston or Dallas or New York City, and they
may look at you and say, oh, come on, I'm
not into that, you know, fu fu hiking getting out
in the woods.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
What do you say to them, Well, anywhere you are,
you can find a hike, yes, even in Houston. You know,
you just go online or you go to a place
like RII or contact a local hiking club. Yes, there's one.
There is a low buy You Outdoors I believe it's
called a group that plans outdoor activities for everyone, all Angees,
(15:10):
So wherever you are, you can find an outdoor activity.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Yeah. And it's almost as if once you get the
taste of this of the outdoors. And sometimes you might
be hiking in a desert or more flat terrain. Others
it's more ruggered rugged. That's my New York and me
ruggared rugged. Come on, I'll get this straight. Keaty a
more rugged area that is a little bit more challenging,
(15:37):
or something in between that's coastal. Each one of these
is absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Yes, yeah, and it is a wonderful way to discover
our country. I had I actually had not been to
a national park until I was in my forties, right,
unbelievably gorgeous, beautiful, and they're just out there for the taking.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
It is true. And you know, the funny thing is
sometimes I'll tell people, oh, we're going into a desert,
and they will say the desert there's no plants, it's dry,
it's a dust ball. But I but I tell everybody,
you find beauty. And I think also besides the exercise part,
(16:22):
which which we'll get into, it's just being able to
see beauty, natural beauty wherever you are. You may not
love living in desert, you may not pick up and
move the flag staff or whatever, but seeing it and
appreciating it and learning about the local environment, the animals,
the plants, the weather, it's it's fascinating.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Absolutely. It's funny that you mentioned desert because the first
time we went to a desert was out in New Mexico. Yeah,
and I thought the same thing. This is I was
used to trees and mountains, This is not pretty. And
little by little I started to realize this is gorgeous.
And we went back many times, not just the Santa
(17:05):
Fe but to other deserts as well.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
So, yeah, you do. You find the beauty when you
really take the time and look. And that's the key
is taking the time, yes to do so.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Yeah. Now, of course, in the spirit that this is
a health and wellness program, we are not becoming travel
agents here. But sorry, no, no, you're right. I mean
that's the beauty of this. We could go anywhere with this,
but getting down to the health and wellness part of it,
I break down the hiking part of this, and for
(17:40):
everybody listening, hiking may not be your thing, and that's
totally okay. You may like to cycle, you may like
to birdwatch, you may like to do more of the
water sports. That's okay, But for now we're talking about hiking.
I look at it, Kathy, as three distinct phases. The
(18:02):
young families or the young groups that have younger children.
Then you have sort of that middle ground where you
have you've almost trained your children and other family members
to sort of go off on their own with their friends.
(18:24):
And then lastly, where we're sort of that you're in
your fifties, sixties or seventies or even beyond, and you're
looking at hiking and walking outside as a form of exercise,
or you are training outside, you're doing weightlifting, you're doing walking,
(18:45):
cycling in order to prepare for that outdoor hiking activity
and a sense of reward that you get when you're
able to accomplish a one, two, three, four five mile
hike on an uneven terrain. It takes a lot of integrity,
strength of your muscles, and balance to get through that.
(19:06):
But what would you say starting off hiking with children?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Well, first of all, I did want to say because
I didn't start hiking. I didn't start probably tik my thirties,
and the lingo was always a little mysterious to me. Trailhead,
hydration system, you know, navigation, There is nothing mysterious to it.
The trailhead is just the beginning of a trail and
(19:34):
they're all marked on anywhere you go, you find it.
Hydration system is just a water bottle and healthy snacks.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
With that healthy snacks common Kathy, We're going to hold
you for a second. We're going to take a break. News,
traffic and weather is coming up. We're going to be
talking more about hiking, sort of getting into taking your
kids on the trail. But stay tuned. I'm not to
Joe Galanti. This is your health First. Don't forget doctor
Joe Galotti dot com. Stay tuned, we'll write back. Welcome
(20:05):
back everybody, Doctor Joe Galotti your health First. Every Sunday
between seven and eight pm, broadcasting coast to coast on
the free iHeartRadio app as well as our home station
seven forty k h here in the great hot, hot
(20:25):
city of Houston, Texas. Don't forget sound for our newsletter.
All of our social media is available on doctor Jogalotti
dot com. And if you're just tuning in now, we've
been talking about hiking. I was out in the Pacific
Northwest last week, and I for those that know me,
(20:47):
you know that not only I show you a lot
of pictures of where I have hiked over the years,
but share the experience and the stories. And on the program,
tonight's Kathy Fenlon and neighbor, a friend and a fellow hiker,
her family, and my family and many families in the neighborhood.
We have all been hiking for nearly thirty years. And
(21:09):
the importance of having your children get out there. And
that's where we left off. Kathy, right before the break,
tell me your sense on hiking with children.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I think getting kids outside is one of the most
valuable things you can do for them right. And hiking
can be a little tricky because if you think, well,
does a five year olds really want to walk five
miles down a trail and look at trees? Probably not.
So you have to make it really fun for them
and realize that when you're dealing with children, the goal
(21:46):
is not to get to the end of the trail.
The goal is to want them to go on a
hike again, right, get them back right, and now you
have to make it fun. You have to be flexible.
If you get to way water, a waterfall, say a
quarter of a mile down the trail, and they want
to stop and play for half an hour under the waterfall,
(22:07):
well then let them do that because that would be
their memory of how wonderful this hike was.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Right, So.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
You know, you let them set the pace. Maybe as
they get a little bit older, let them pick the trail,
which is always exciting, and before you know it, they'll
be well ahead of you on that trail and you'll say,
you know, please keep us within sight.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yes, yeah, and and and I consider myself and my
family very fortunate that you and your family and so
many other families that we were friends with and still
are friends with, we had this uh this you know,
camping co op in a sense.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
And where we would all go out together. And those
are some of the greatest memories that I had and
our children have together. So there again, it's the exercise.
It is the personal achievement that you could say you
made it to the end. But it's the bonding and
(23:13):
the emotion that is so important for everybody at every age.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Absolutely, And you know, you mentioned our camping group, which
has probably one of the best memories from our kids
growing up together. And it's okay to let kids rough
it a little bit and maybe you know, you forget
the peanut butter. Well, there's going to be a friend
who has a little peanut butter. If you have peanut butter,
(23:39):
you know someone is going to fall and skin their
knee and that's okay. They just they still all talk
about it just in wonderment. And I'm sure as a
matter of fact, I know my oldest son and two
of his three kids, he's gone camping with two other
families out in North Carolina. So it does. You're teaching
(24:02):
them how to be outside with other people and just
enjoy themselves. It does take a little bit of effort,
as you recall, but it's well worth it. Yeah, yet
worth it.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I've always used the hiking outdoor experience as a metaphor
for life. It is the trail you're on in life
is bumpy, It has curves, there are rocks in the
middle that you have to get over, there's inclement weather.
You have to bond together. You have to work together
(24:35):
on a common goal, which is just to hike ten, fifteen,
twenty minutes down the trail or you know, several days
on a trail. But I jotted down while we were
chatting here the benefits of hiking. And again you could
substitute cycling, swimming, kayaking, et cetera. But it is you're
(25:00):
off the grid. You learn about nature. It's challenging self reliance, togetherness, communication, bonding, community,
you relax, and the wonder of nature. What would you
add to that?
Speaker 1 (25:12):
You think, oh, well, I would add cooking around the
campfire and enjoying meals together. You know that's one of
your absolutely and you're with your family, but then you're
also with some of your dear friends, sharing food, going,
(25:35):
you know, taking flashlights at night and going a little
bit down the trail, and you know, maybe we're all
a little afraid, but it's great, it's fun, and you
know you're getting your children to understand that it's important
to be fit enough that they can make it down
the trail right, and that they are confidence enough that
(25:57):
they can you know, with supervision of course, get in
the river and float down a bit and have another
adult catch them at the end. Because all those things
they will be doing when you're not there, and it's
better to teach them those skills when they're young and
teach them how to do all these things.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Safely, right, And it's survival skills. And again the you know,
survive on the trails, survive at work, survive in your family. Whatever,
whatever the world throws at you, I would say you
could trace it back to a lesson you learned camping
or or hiking.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
That's probably true. I'm sure exception to that rule, but
I can't see them any now. But yes, because if
you are in a cooperative group doing something challenging and
you are confident that you can do it, that applies
to everything right right now.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Truly, a day in the news does not go by
regarding the health and wellness of baby boomers. And so
these are people that were born between nineteen forty five
and nineteen sixty five, and many of our listeners fit
into the baby boomer category and the status of their health,
(27:16):
and as I always like to say and remind everybody,
you can't wake up one day with a serious medical
problem and walk it back. You're stuck with it. To
a certain sense. Yes, you can make modifications on how
(27:37):
poorly you do or how well you do with a
particular medical complication that you develop. But right now, if
you're forty five or fifty five, you have to be planning.
Can I do something when I'm sixty five or seventy five?
And I know that the neighbors that we still hike with,
(27:58):
and I'm happy to say that your daughter was married
last week. We all went out to Seattle to celebrate,
and of course we looked at it and said, hey,
Seattle Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, it's a stone's throwaway.
We're making a vacation out of this. So that is
our mindset. But you have to start thinking and again
(28:25):
using the idea are you eating well? Are you getting
enough sleep? Do you have that integrity to hike down
a trail with or without a little bit of an
elevation when you're seventy and what do you need to
do now? So tell me how you and your husband
(28:45):
Chris sort of look at the good health habits that
you have now, thinking about trips you take or places.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
You visit well. We are, Yeah, we are your We
love to feel good. I mean I say, I want
to feel one hundred percent every day and what does
it take to get me there? And really what it
takes is exercising every day, eating right, not smoking obviously,
(29:19):
drinking moderately, and it allows you to enjoy your life
as you get older. And I guess your question was
planning for the future. Well, we look at we're sixty
five and sixty seven now and our go to High
(29:40):
Lanth now is oh, between six and eight miles now.
About three years ago it was really between eight and
twelve miles, you know, when we were looking at what
to pick out, and you know, we finally said, just
like kids, we want this to be enjoyable for us.
And if ten miles is too much and we don't
want to do it anymore, that's not a good thing.
(30:02):
So just adapt and say, Okay, you know what, Hot
Wells is a great hike. We're out there, we're seeing beauty.
We are you know, it's a big part of our
hike is a delicious lunch. We're enjoying lunch together, sitting
by you know, looking at a mountain or sitting by
a stream right, and we realize that as you get
(30:22):
older you do have to adapt a little bit. But
it all plays into wanting to feel good every single
day when you wake up right now, I can't imagine.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
No, you're true. And as as as I learn from
my patients and I talk to you know, either on
the radio or we're talking public or our newsletter. You know,
when I talk to patients, they tell me they don't
feel good. And the norm at fifty years old should
(30:54):
not be to feel like you're ninety years old. And
so we have to get that out of people's minds
that when you're fifty or sixty or seventy, you create
these limitations and it's like a self fulfilling prophecy. Yep,
I can't go upstairs. Instead of sort of the approach
you take and I try to take all the time,
(31:15):
is that what do I need to do? How do
I need to eat, how do I need to rest?
How do I need to exercise to make sure I
can achieve? And again, in this particular discussion, it's hiking,
you know, ride ten or fifteen miles on a trail
on a bike, or canoe or do anything else. What's
your what's your take there right.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Well, and when I said that we need to adapt
as we get older, I do mean that, But that
doesn't mean that we can't do everything. We can still
do everything, we just have to figure out how to
do it. One example, I'll use my husband as I
noticed when he got out of bed he was kind
of shuffling, and I said, what what youre shuffling? And said,
(32:01):
you know, Joe that I am a student of yoga.
I love yoga, and I suggest that you start yoga.
And he did and after, you know, a couple of months,
no more shuffling.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And I think that you owe it to your spouse
just to call them on things like you are not
that old and we are going to keep on doing
these things. So whatever it is you need to do,
whether it be you know, I don't know, go to
an exercise class, or walk around the block fifteen times,
(32:35):
whatever it is, if you should do that, do it
for me because I want to keep going to Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Well, I think the name of the game here is accountability,
and you have to create that sense of accountability with
a spouse, your children, your best friend to encourage you
to keep exercising regardless of the age. Regardless of the age.
All right, Kathy, We're going to stick on for one
more segment. We're going to take another quick break and
(33:01):
wind up this whole discussion of hiking. Hope all of
you are becoming motivated or thinking. Hopefully we'll get to
some ideas at the end on how to start this
journey of hiking. All right, Doctor Jogalotti dot com is
our website. Stay tuned, We just got a few more minutes.
Stay with us. Final segment for this very hot Sunday
(33:23):
evening in Texas. Of your health. First, I'm doctor Joe Galotti.
Don't forget visit us at doctor Joegalotti dot com. And
all the information things we talk about during the week
are all on the website. Our newsletter copy of my
book Eating Yourself Sick is available. Send me a message.
(33:45):
That's the easiest thing and the easiest way to do it.
So we have been with Kathy Fenlon, a dear friend
and neighbor and fellow hiker, talking about hiking and what
we're doing here tonight, as always, is experience sharing. That
is what this program is is really all about telling
(34:07):
stories that resonate with with all of you. You know,
I even I even tell patients now that you know
the beauty of hiking, walk in your neighborhood that that
people get. But then I said, look, you want to
add a little added challenge to make believe. You've got
(34:27):
a couple of liters of water, You've got some nuts,
you've got some fruit, you got a turkey sandwich in
the back of your bag. Put get a little knapsack.
Go to a local, you know, sporting good store. Get
a day pack that fits. Stuff it with newspapers, put
rocks in it, you know, Go and buy a five
(34:48):
pound plate or a ten pound weight plate, and just
walk around the neighborhood with that knapsack. Get your legs
a little stronger, get a good pair of sneakers or boots,
and do that in training, which is good for your bones,
good for your heart, good for your blood pressure. And
then when you decide yes, we're taking a trip to
(35:09):
Pennsylvania and we're going to hike in the mountains there,
you got a little training under.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Your belt, right right. And I'll add to that something
that I do. I'm not a big phone person, but
it's important to keep up with your friends and family
around the country. When I'm out walking in the neighborhood.
I don't carry a backpack, but I do carry a
little pack with my phone in it, and I catch
up with everyone and again, free exercise. I'm not sitting
(35:37):
on the couch talking to my brother, but I'm out
there walking. Before you know it, I've covered three miles
because he's quite a chatter.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Now, now even cooler if you were walking during this interview.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
How about that well I'm painting.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Yes, well that's good. Now to wrap up here, Kathy.
For those listening tonight, they may seem a little overwhelmed.
Then they're trying to think. You know, I've never hired,
I've been a city kid my whole life, or really
not been to a national park. What would you say
the three or four steps would be to sort of
(36:18):
ease into this whole hiking mentality that we both so love.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
I think the easiest way to do it. And this
isn't available to everyone, but if you have a friend
who hikes, ask them to take you one time, or
ask or at least ask them to describe it to
you and what it is that they actually do. Because
I know I was kind of intimidated again with the
lingo and then once you realize it's not that hard
(36:48):
to get into it. You know, you can go to
your local RII or academy and usually they have hiking
experts there, especially at ARII. They especially if you'ren't going
to a Saturday afternoon, they will spend as much time
as you want with them, educating you as to where
(37:11):
to go and what you actually need. Go to a
state park and go for the day. You don't even
have to camp, just go for the day and walk
on the trail. See how you feel. It's easy. It's
really so easy, and you know, make it easy for yourself.
(37:33):
Enjoy it. Don't push too much, but push enough. You know,
maybe there's a hill there that you can climb, and
it's okay to stop halfway up the hill. You don't
have to get up the whole thing. And one try,
and that's I think the best way to start.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Yeah, yeah, and I think that one thing is like
so many sports, indoor sports, outdoor sports, people become fanatical
about it. And so all you need to do is
find one person that you go up to them and say,
tell me a little bit about biking, cycling, swimming, hiking.
(38:09):
You'll have a friend forever.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Correct, correct, because everyone loves to have a friend with
similar interest. Yes, there's nothing better, and you know, we've
gotten so lucky in that nothing better than going on
a hiking trip with a group of friends. It's just
you know, and people are different abilities, and that's okay.
It doesn't matter. No one's in a rush. You don't
have to climb the whole mountain. Right you're out there,
(38:35):
you're enjoying yourself, getting some exercise and building those bonds.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
No, I know, And as you mentioned, there's so many
resources online. ARII co Op. They are coast to coast.
The Sierra Club is another national organizations, and they have
day hikes where they will say a day hike for beginners.
All you that is a bottle water and stick a
(39:01):
few kind bars in your pocket with a pair of
sneakers and you're good to go. And then you could
relate to them and say, look, in a month, there's
another slightly longer trip or a different kind of trip,
and you just start getting momentum there. And as you said,
state parks in every state of the nation, no matter
(39:22):
where you live, all you have to do is go
on Google and say state parks near me and they'll
be more information than you could imagine. So, Kathy, it
has been a pleasure having you on the radio tonight.
It's always great getting with you and Chris and your
family and our extended families and hiking. All right, Kathy,
(39:43):
keep hiking, stay healthy, and thanks very much for coming
on tonight.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
All right, thanks Je.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Well, that's it for tonight. Hopefully we inspired you some.
Thanks again to Kathy Fenlon for coming on. Stay well. Everybody,
think about hiking. If you have any questions about hiking,
send me a message. That's what we're here for. Take care, everybody,
be blessed.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
You've been listening to Your Health First with doctor Joe Glotti.
For more information on this program or the content of
this program, go to your health First dot com.
Initialize sequence.
Speaker 2 (00:04):
Coming to you live from Houston, Texas, home to the
world's largest medical center. Bunch everything looking.
Speaker 3 (00:14):
Time.
Speaker 2 (00:19):
This is your Health First, the most beneficial health program
on radio with doctor Joe Galotti. During the next hour
you'll learn about health, wellness and the prevention of disease.
Now here's your host, doctor Joe Bellotti.
Speaker 4 (00:47):
Well look at Sunday evening to everybody, Doctor Joe Galotti,
your pre to your health First. We here we Sunday
between seven and eight pm Central Time, broadcasting from our
world headquarters on forty PPR H here in Houston and
broadcasting around the globe on the iHeartRadio app. Our website
(01:08):
Doctor Joegalotti dot com. Go there to sign up for
our newsletter, check out old programs. All of our health
and wellness nutrition information is there. Links to our social
media is there. And of course you could send me
a message. That is the best part of the program.
This is a two way program. I speak and you
(01:29):
respond give me feedback. But you have to go to
doctor Joegalotti dot com. That's the place to go. So
on the program tonight. Hey, by the way, this you
know what is it? November sixteenth, and my thermometer in
my backyard register about eighty six degrees, pretty warm for November.
(01:53):
I've got friends around the country, mostly East Coast, some
in the Mountain States, and it is fall, it is
full on fall. But I'm sitting in the backyard with
a pair of running shorts and a T shirt with
my feet in the pool. So that is the benefit
(02:14):
of living in Houston, Texas. But that is what it's
all about. So let's see coming up in a little while,
Caffe Fenlon, We're going to talk about hiking. Now. Hiking
has always been a big part of my life since
I was probably in middle school high school. With friends,
(02:38):
one of the things we always would do was go hiking.
And living in New York, all we had to do
is drive about an hour hour and a half outside
of metropolitan New York and you would be in some
of the most beautiful mountains and hiking areas. It's called
the Catskills, and we always would hike. That was our fun,
(03:04):
that was our entertainment, was hiking, and so I hiked
all through high school. I hiked all through college, medical school, residency.
When I was a resident in New York, the vacation
time that I had, I was single, I wasn't married.
(03:24):
I would usually get with one of my college roommates
and we would spend one to two weeks hiking at
the Grand Canyon, Arizona, Utah, New Mexico, California, and it
was just great. And this has transmitted now to my family.
And when we had young children, we would all go
(03:45):
hiking and camping together. But even recently we connected with
some friends that relocated from the Houston area to Georgia,
and what did we do. We all went hiking. So
it is a great sport. It's a great form of exercise. Now,
as I've said before, I am battling a bad knee.
(04:07):
You'll probably hear more about this in the weeks to come,
but I'll be going for a knee replacement in the
next three weeks. I'll give you updates on that. But
I think part of it is part of it is genetic.
I believe it's sad to say, but bad knees may
run in the family. But recently, hiking in the Canadian
(04:31):
Rockies and Pacific Northwest, you know, my knees just could
not handle it. So that is a big part of
my quality of life and enjoyment. And that is the
point of where I have to get this fixed. But anyway,
Kathy is going to be coming on for a good
part of the program talking about hiking. Think about hiking
(04:53):
as a form of exercise. You could hike anywhere. You
could hike in Houston, you could hike in San Antonio,
you could hike up in Tyler, Texas. You could hike
in Sacramento, California. Anywhere it does, It does not matter.
So it's always great to hear from Kathy. The other
thing is the month of November is Men's Health Awareness Month,
and on Thursday I had the opportunity to speak at
(05:17):
a law firm in town to the employees and the
lawyer partners about men's health, and I would say the
main things about men's health. First of all, the discussion
of men's health or men's health awareness. Yes, this is
talking about men males. But also we want women to
(05:40):
be involved in the conversation because if you are a woman,
you are the girlfriend, wife, a sister, a good friend, coworker,
and you see that a guy is not feeling well,
or he's complaining about a certain symptom, or he's dragging,
or he tells you that he has chest pain, shortness
(06:00):
of breath, or you observe something like that, you really
want to get that person to be evaluated. So when
we talk about men's health, a couple of highlight things.
First of all, men compared to women, don't go to
the doctor, and that is a problem. And there was
a research study that said the majority of men would
(06:24):
rather do household chores like cut the grass and clean
the toilet rather than go to the doctor. So you
may say, well, that's pretty funny and it's an interesting fact,
but what this is basically telling us is that these
barriers why men don't like to go to the doctor
(06:47):
is creating a lapse in timely evaluation. So instead of
checking with the doctor, the first time you see blood
in your stool, you're going to drag your feet, and
days turns into weeks, turns in two months, and of
course it could be something more serious like colon cancer,
(07:10):
and you missed that opportunity for a rather easy diagnosis
where you have a much better outcome. So if you
have men in your life, you want to get them
to the doctor. That's number one. Number two. The other
things that are male specific is certainly prostate cancer. We've
(07:32):
talked about prostate cancer many times on the program. This
controversy with the PSA prostate specific antigen blood test, But
in the urologists that I know and trust that are
in this prostate cancer space, certainly getting the PSA is
something you want to do. And again be on the
(07:54):
lookout for symptoms of difficulty urinating or pain when you urinate,
or blood in your urine. The other thing that I
talked about, which was a little comical, if you could say,
is a rectile dysfunction, and it is very prevalent with men,
(08:15):
especially over fifty. But the main take home here when
you're talking about a rectile dysfunction, the plan is not
to buy viagra or Cilis online and get a nondescript
brown box in your mail, keeping it very hush hush.
(08:35):
It is not to simply go to your PCP and say, hey, hey, doc,
I'm having a little ed. Just call in some viagrafor me,
or borrow viagra from a colleague. That's really not the thing. Usually,
if you are suffering from a rectile dysfunction, there is
typically typically some other potential medical problem on the horizon.
(09:00):
It may be hypertension, it may be live a disease,
it may be diabetes some other cardiovascular issues. So you
don't want to simply put a band aid on this
and say a rectile dysfunction equals getting viagra. Not necessarily
the answer. You should go for a thorough medical evaluation.
(09:20):
All right, Well we're going to take a quick break here.
Kathy Fenlon is coming on talking about hiking. Don't forget,
doctor Joegalatti dot com is our website. I hope you
have a somewhat cooler evening. It did get pretty warm today,
but it is enjoyable. All right, say tune we will work.
I sure hope you are all listening to your health first.
(09:43):
And don't forget. If you are traveling or on the road,
or you have a relative anywhere in the United States,
the free iHeartRadio app will have you tune into the program.
I think that's pretty pretty cool that we're able to
do that. And as I was saying, and don't forget,
(10:04):
doctor Joglotti dot com is our website. And as I
was saying earlier in the program, I just came back
from a trip to the Pacific Northwest. We went hiking
at Olympic National Park. And if there's one topic I
love to talk about personally as well as sharing the experiences.
Is hiking and on the line is a dear friend,
(10:28):
a neighbor, and I would say regular contributor to all
that we do. Kathy Fenlon, Kathy, welcome to the program.
I think this is the first time you've been on
the radio with me.
Speaker 1 (10:41):
I believe you're correct. I'm happy to be here, Joe.
Speaker 4 (10:44):
All right, So hiking. You know, the way I always
talk about it to friends and colleagues, and certainly to
my patients is that this is one of many forms
of exercise. You just really can't get away from it.
The way I describe hiking is walking on an uneven surface,
(11:06):
and that that really is the most simple way to
look at it. But I look at it as a
great activity for a couple or groups of people. It
is a form of exercise, and it's a way to
really see the great outdoors and the positive emotional things
(11:28):
it does for your your human psyche. So you and
your family have been hikers pretty much as long as
I've known you, coming on thirty years. So why don't
you give your no pun intended, thirty thousand foot view
(11:48):
of hiking in general to everybody tonight on the radio.
Speaker 1 (11:52):
Okay, well, I think of hiking not as exercise, but
as free exercise. You're getting the benefit fit of working
your body while not even realizing you're doing it, because
you're enjoying yourself so much. We almost every one of
our vacations is a hiking vacation, whether it be in
(12:15):
a national park, whether it is in a state park,
different states. Everywhere we go, we hike, and hiking can
be you know, walking through the London street. But I
think what you're really referring to, Joe is hiking on
(12:37):
the trails, seeing nature. And to me, what you mentioned
before about the mind body connection is so true. There
is nothing that calms your mind and therefore your body
like being in nature.
Speaker 4 (12:51):
Right and you know it, Yeah, you know. So much
is written about the stress we're over now. I am
sure that everybody listening tonight may themselves say I am
stressed out. I talk to my patients. They have a family,
they have a job, they're living okay, but they will
(13:15):
all sneak into the conversation. But I am stressed out.
I would think a non pharmacologic intervention is to get outdoors.
What do you think of that?
Speaker 1 (13:28):
Absolutely, I absolutely agree I have to tell you many
many years ago, when I had four young children, I
said to my obgyn went for my check up, and
I said, oh, I'm so stressed, and he immediately wanted
to prescribe medicine. Yes, what I wanted him to say
was you need to take time for yourself and go
(13:51):
to the gym, go to yoga class, walk, And that's
how I solved the stress. Of course, the stress when
you're working and have children ever goes away, but it
certainly helps you manage it, conduct yourself as you should. Yeah,
I mean doing it at the same time.
Speaker 4 (14:09):
Yeah, it's it's an outlet. You have to have this
outlet of energy and emotion, and there's something incredibly calming
when you're outside you hear nature. And I would almost say, Kathy,
and I'd like to hear your thought on it. A
lot of people, they spent their entire life in a
inner city environment. They may have been born and bred
(14:33):
in Houston or Dallas or New York City, and they
may look at you and say, oh, come on, I'm
not into that, you know, fu fu hiking getting out
in the woods.
Speaker 1 (14:43):
What do you say to them, Well, anywhere you are,
you can find a hike, yes, even in Houston. You know,
you just go online or you go to a place
like RII or contact a local hiking club. Yes, there's one.
There is a low buy You Outdoors I believe it's
called a group that plans outdoor activities for everyone, all Angees,
(15:10):
So wherever you are, you can find an outdoor activity.
Speaker 4 (15:13):
Yeah. And it's almost as if once you get the
taste of this of the outdoors. And sometimes you might
be hiking in a desert or more flat terrain. Others
it's more ruggered rugged. That's my New York and me
ruggared rugged. Come on, I'll get this straight. Keaty a
more rugged area that is a little bit more challenging,
(15:37):
or something in between that's coastal. Each one of these
is absolutely gorgeous.
Speaker 1 (15:44):
Yes, yeah, and it is a wonderful way to discover
our country. I had I actually had not been to
a national park until I was in my forties, right,
unbelievably gorgeous, beautiful, and they're just out there for the taking.
Speaker 4 (16:01):
It is true. And you know, the funny thing is
sometimes I'll tell people, oh, we're going into a desert,
and they will say the desert there's no plants, it's dry,
it's a dust ball. But I but I tell everybody,
you find beauty. And I think also besides the exercise part,
(16:22):
which which we'll get into, it's just being able to
see beauty, natural beauty wherever you are. You may not
love living in desert, you may not pick up and
move the flag staff or whatever, but seeing it and
appreciating it and learning about the local environment, the animals,
the plants, the weather, it's it's fascinating.
Speaker 1 (16:45):
Absolutely. It's funny that you mentioned desert because the first
time we went to a desert was out in New Mexico. Yeah,
and I thought the same thing. This is I was
used to trees and mountains, This is not pretty. And
little by little I started to realize this is gorgeous.
And we went back many times, not just the Santa
(17:05):
Fe but to other deserts as well.
Speaker 4 (17:07):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (17:08):
So, yeah, you do. You find the beauty when you
really take the time and look. And that's the key
is taking the time, yes to do so.
Speaker 4 (17:16):
Yeah. Now, of course, in the spirit that this is
a health and wellness program, we are not becoming travel
agents here. But sorry, no, no, you're right. I mean
that's the beauty of this. We could go anywhere with this,
but getting down to the health and wellness part of it,
I break down the hiking part of this, and for
(17:40):
everybody listening, hiking may not be your thing, and that's
totally okay. You may like to cycle, you may like
to birdwatch, you may like to do more of the
water sports. That's okay, But for now we're talking about hiking.
I look at it, Kathy, as three distinct phases. The
(18:02):
young families or the young groups that have younger children.
Then you have sort of that middle ground where you
have you've almost trained your children and other family members
to sort of go off on their own with their friends.
(18:24):
And then lastly, where we're sort of that you're in
your fifties, sixties or seventies or even beyond, and you're
looking at hiking and walking outside as a form of exercise,
or you are training outside, you're doing weightlifting, you're doing walking,
(18:45):
cycling in order to prepare for that outdoor hiking activity
and a sense of reward that you get when you're
able to accomplish a one, two, three, four five mile
hike on an uneven terrain. It takes a lot of integrity,
strength of your muscles, and balance to get through that.
(19:06):
But what would you say starting off hiking with children?
Speaker 1 (19:11):
Well, first of all, I did want to say because
I didn't start hiking. I didn't start probably tik my thirties,
and the lingo was always a little mysterious to me. Trailhead,
hydration system, you know, navigation, There is nothing mysterious to it.
The trailhead is just the beginning of a trail and
(19:34):
they're all marked on anywhere you go, you find it.
Hydration system is just a water bottle and healthy snacks.
Speaker 4 (19:43):
With that healthy snacks common Kathy, We're going to hold
you for a second. We're going to take a break. News,
traffic and weather is coming up. We're going to be
talking more about hiking, sort of getting into taking your
kids on the trail. But stay tuned. I'm not to
Joe Galanti. This is your health First. Don't forget doctor
Joe Galotti dot com. Stay tuned, we'll write back. Welcome
(20:05):
back everybody, Doctor Joe Galotti your health First. Every Sunday
between seven and eight pm, broadcasting coast to coast on
the free iHeartRadio app as well as our home station
seven forty k h here in the great hot, hot
(20:25):
city of Houston, Texas. Don't forget sound for our newsletter.
All of our social media is available on doctor Jogalotti
dot com. And if you're just tuning in now, we've
been talking about hiking. I was out in the Pacific
Northwest last week, and I for those that know me,
(20:47):
you know that not only I show you a lot
of pictures of where I have hiked over the years,
but share the experience and the stories. And on the program,
tonight's Kathy Fenlon and neighbor, a friend and a fellow hiker,
her family, and my family and many families in the neighborhood.
We have all been hiking for nearly thirty years. And
(21:09):
the importance of having your children get out there. And
that's where we left off. Kathy, right before the break,
tell me your sense on hiking with children.
Speaker 1 (21:23):
I think getting kids outside is one of the most
valuable things you can do for them right. And hiking
can be a little tricky because if you think, well,
does a five year olds really want to walk five
miles down a trail and look at trees? Probably not.
So you have to make it really fun for them
and realize that when you're dealing with children, the goal
(21:46):
is not to get to the end of the trail.
The goal is to want them to go on a
hike again, right, get them back right, and now you
have to make it fun. You have to be flexible.
If you get to way water, a waterfall, say a
quarter of a mile down the trail, and they want
to stop and play for half an hour under the waterfall,
(22:07):
well then let them do that because that would be
their memory of how wonderful this hike was.
Speaker 2 (22:12):
Right, So.
Speaker 1 (22:16):
You know, you let them set the pace. Maybe as
they get a little bit older, let them pick the trail,
which is always exciting, and before you know it, they'll
be well ahead of you on that trail and you'll say,
you know, please keep us within sight.
Speaker 3 (22:30):
Yes, yeah, and and and I consider myself and my
family very fortunate that you and your family and so
many other families that we were friends with and still
are friends with, we had this uh this you know,
camping co op in a sense.
Speaker 4 (22:52):
And where we would all go out together. And those
are some of the greatest memories that I had and
our children have together. So there again, it's the exercise.
It is the personal achievement that you could say you
made it to the end. But it's the bonding and
(23:13):
the emotion that is so important for everybody at every age.
Speaker 1 (23:19):
Absolutely, And you know, you mentioned our camping group, which
has probably one of the best memories from our kids
growing up together. And it's okay to let kids rough
it a little bit and maybe you know, you forget
the peanut butter. Well, there's going to be a friend
who has a little peanut butter. If you have peanut butter,
(23:39):
you know someone is going to fall and skin their
knee and that's okay. They just they still all talk
about it just in wonderment. And I'm sure as a
matter of fact, I know my oldest son and two
of his three kids, he's gone camping with two other
families out in North Carolina. So it does. You're teaching
(24:02):
them how to be outside with other people and just
enjoy themselves. It does take a little bit of effort,
as you recall, but it's well worth it. Yeah, yet
worth it.
Speaker 4 (24:15):
I've always used the hiking outdoor experience as a metaphor
for life. It is the trail you're on in life
is bumpy, It has curves, there are rocks in the
middle that you have to get over, there's inclement weather.
You have to bond together. You have to work together
(24:35):
on a common goal, which is just to hike ten, fifteen,
twenty minutes down the trail or you know, several days
on a trail. But I jotted down while we were
chatting here the benefits of hiking. And again you could
substitute cycling, swimming, kayaking, et cetera. But it is you're
(25:00):
off the grid. You learn about nature. It's challenging self reliance, togetherness, communication, bonding, community,
you relax, and the wonder of nature. What would you
add to that?
Speaker 1 (25:12):
You think, oh, well, I would add cooking around the
campfire and enjoying meals together. You know that's one of
your absolutely and you're with your family, but then you're
also with some of your dear friends, sharing food, going,
(25:35):
you know, taking flashlights at night and going a little
bit down the trail, and you know, maybe we're all
a little afraid, but it's great, it's fun, and you
know you're getting your children to understand that it's important
to be fit enough that they can make it down
the trail right, and that they are confidence enough that
(25:57):
they can you know, with supervision of course, get in
the river and float down a bit and have another
adult catch them at the end. Because all those things
they will be doing when you're not there, and it's
better to teach them those skills when they're young and
teach them how to do all these things.
Speaker 4 (26:15):
Safely, right, And it's survival skills. And again the you know,
survive on the trails, survive at work, survive in your family. Whatever,
whatever the world throws at you, I would say you
could trace it back to a lesson you learned camping
or or hiking.
Speaker 1 (26:36):
That's probably true. I'm sure exception to that rule, but
I can't see them any now. But yes, because if
you are in a cooperative group doing something challenging and
you are confident that you can do it, that applies
to everything right right now.
Speaker 4 (26:54):
Truly, a day in the news does not go by
regarding the health and wellness of baby boomers. And so
these are people that were born between nineteen forty five
and nineteen sixty five, and many of our listeners fit
into the baby boomer category and the status of their health,
(27:16):
and as I always like to say and remind everybody,
you can't wake up one day with a serious medical
problem and walk it back. You're stuck with it. To
a certain sense. Yes, you can make modifications on how
(27:37):
poorly you do or how well you do with a
particular medical complication that you develop. But right now, if
you're forty five or fifty five, you have to be planning.
Can I do something when I'm sixty five or seventy five?
And I know that the neighbors that we still hike with,
(27:58):
and I'm happy to say that your daughter was married
last week. We all went out to Seattle to celebrate,
and of course we looked at it and said, hey,
Seattle Olympic National Park, Mount Rainier, it's a stone's throwaway.
We're making a vacation out of this. So that is
our mindset. But you have to start thinking and again
(28:25):
using the idea are you eating well? Are you getting
enough sleep? Do you have that integrity to hike down
a trail with or without a little bit of an
elevation when you're seventy and what do you need to
do now? So tell me how you and your husband
(28:45):
Chris sort of look at the good health habits that
you have now, thinking about trips you take or places.
Speaker 1 (28:55):
You visit well. We are, Yeah, we are your We
love to feel good. I mean I say, I want
to feel one hundred percent every day and what does
it take to get me there? And really what it
takes is exercising every day, eating right, not smoking obviously,
(29:19):
drinking moderately, and it allows you to enjoy your life
as you get older. And I guess your question was
planning for the future. Well, we look at we're sixty
five and sixty seven now and our go to High
(29:40):
Lanth now is oh, between six and eight miles now.
About three years ago it was really between eight and
twelve miles, you know, when we were looking at what
to pick out, and you know, we finally said, just
like kids, we want this to be enjoyable for us.
And if ten miles is too much and we don't
want to do it anymore, that's not a good thing.
(30:02):
So just adapt and say, Okay, you know what, Hot
Wells is a great hike. We're out there, we're seeing beauty.
We are you know, it's a big part of our
hike is a delicious lunch. We're enjoying lunch together, sitting
by you know, looking at a mountain or sitting by
a stream right, and we realize that as you get
(30:22):
older you do have to adapt a little bit. But
it all plays into wanting to feel good every single
day when you wake up right now, I can't imagine.
Speaker 4 (30:33):
No, you're true. And as as as I learn from
my patients and I talk to you know, either on
the radio or we're talking public or our newsletter. You know,
when I talk to patients, they tell me they don't
feel good. And the norm at fifty years old should
(30:54):
not be to feel like you're ninety years old. And
so we have to get that out of people's minds
that when you're fifty or sixty or seventy, you create
these limitations and it's like a self fulfilling prophecy. Yep,
I can't go upstairs. Instead of sort of the approach
you take and I try to take all the time,
(31:15):
is that what do I need to do? How do
I need to eat, how do I need to rest?
How do I need to exercise to make sure I
can achieve? And again, in this particular discussion, it's hiking,
you know, ride ten or fifteen miles on a trail
on a bike, or canoe or do anything else. What's
your what's your take there right.
Speaker 1 (31:36):
Well, and when I said that we need to adapt
as we get older, I do mean that, But that
doesn't mean that we can't do everything. We can still
do everything, we just have to figure out how to
do it. One example, I'll use my husband as I
noticed when he got out of bed he was kind
of shuffling, and I said, what what youre shuffling? And said,
(32:01):
you know, Joe that I am a student of yoga.
I love yoga, and I suggest that you start yoga.
And he did and after, you know, a couple of months,
no more shuffling.
Speaker 4 (32:14):
Yeah.
Speaker 1 (32:15):
And I think that you owe it to your spouse
just to call them on things like you are not
that old and we are going to keep on doing
these things. So whatever it is you need to do,
whether it be you know, I don't know, go to
an exercise class, or walk around the block fifteen times,
(32:35):
whatever it is, if you should do that, do it
for me because I want to keep going to Yeah.
Speaker 4 (32:39):
Well, I think the name of the game here is accountability,
and you have to create that sense of accountability with
a spouse, your children, your best friend to encourage you
to keep exercising regardless of the age. Regardless of the age.
All right, Kathy, We're going to stick on for one
more segment. We're going to take another quick break and
(33:01):
wind up this whole discussion of hiking. Hope all of
you are becoming motivated or thinking. Hopefully we'll get to
some ideas at the end on how to start this
journey of hiking. All right, Doctor Jogalotti dot com is
our website. Stay tuned, We just got a few more minutes.
Stay with us. Final segment for this very hot Sunday
(33:23):
evening in Texas. Of your health. First, I'm doctor Joe Galotti.
Don't forget visit us at doctor Joegalotti dot com. And
all the information things we talk about during the week
are all on the website. Our newsletter copy of my
book Eating Yourself Sick is available. Send me a message.
(33:45):
That's the easiest thing and the easiest way to do it.
So we have been with Kathy Fenlon, a dear friend
and neighbor and fellow hiker, talking about hiking and what
we're doing here tonight, as always, is experience sharing. That
is what this program is is really all about telling
(34:07):
stories that resonate with with all of you. You know,
I even I even tell patients now that you know
the beauty of hiking, walk in your neighborhood that that
people get. But then I said, look, you want to
add a little added challenge to make believe. You've got
(34:27):
a couple of liters of water, You've got some nuts,
you've got some fruit, you got a turkey sandwich in
the back of your bag. Put get a little knapsack.
Go to a local, you know, sporting good store. Get
a day pack that fits. Stuff it with newspapers, put
rocks in it, you know, Go and buy a five
(34:48):
pound plate or a ten pound weight plate, and just
walk around the neighborhood with that knapsack. Get your legs
a little stronger, get a good pair of sneakers or boots,
and do that in training, which is good for your bones,
good for your heart, good for your blood pressure. And
then when you decide yes, we're taking a trip to
(35:09):
Pennsylvania and we're going to hike in the mountains there,
you got a little training under.
Speaker 1 (35:15):
Your belt, right right. And I'll add to that something
that I do. I'm not a big phone person, but
it's important to keep up with your friends and family
around the country. When I'm out walking in the neighborhood.
I don't carry a backpack, but I do carry a
little pack with my phone in it, and I catch
up with everyone and again, free exercise. I'm not sitting
(35:37):
on the couch talking to my brother, but I'm out
there walking. Before you know it, I've covered three miles
because he's quite a chatter.
Speaker 4 (35:45):
Now, now even cooler if you were walking during this interview.
Speaker 1 (35:49):
How about that well I'm painting.
Speaker 4 (35:52):
Yes, well that's good. Now to wrap up here, Kathy.
For those listening tonight, they may seem a little overwhelmed.
Then they're trying to think. You know, I've never hired,
I've been a city kid my whole life, or really
not been to a national park. What would you say
the three or four steps would be to sort of
(36:18):
ease into this whole hiking mentality that we both so love.
Speaker 1 (36:24):
I think the easiest way to do it. And this
isn't available to everyone, but if you have a friend
who hikes, ask them to take you one time, or
ask or at least ask them to describe it to
you and what it is that they actually do. Because
I know I was kind of intimidated again with the
lingo and then once you realize it's not that hard
(36:48):
to get into it. You know, you can go to
your local RII or academy and usually they have hiking
experts there, especially at ARII. They especially if you'ren't going
to a Saturday afternoon, they will spend as much time
as you want with them, educating you as to where
(37:11):
to go and what you actually need. Go to a
state park and go for the day. You don't even
have to camp, just go for the day and walk
on the trail. See how you feel. It's easy. It's
really so easy, and you know, make it easy for yourself.
(37:33):
Enjoy it. Don't push too much, but push enough. You know,
maybe there's a hill there that you can climb, and
it's okay to stop halfway up the hill. You don't
have to get up the whole thing. And one try,
and that's I think the best way to start.
Speaker 4 (37:46):
Yeah, yeah, and I think that one thing is like
so many sports, indoor sports, outdoor sports, people become fanatical
about it. And so all you need to do is
find one person that you go up to them and say,
tell me a little bit about biking, cycling, swimming, hiking.
(38:09):
You'll have a friend forever.
Speaker 1 (38:11):
Correct, correct, because everyone loves to have a friend with
similar interest. Yes, there's nothing better, and you know, we've
gotten so lucky in that nothing better than going on
a hiking trip with a group of friends. It's just
you know, and people are different abilities, and that's okay.
It doesn't matter. No one's in a rush. You don't
have to climb the whole mountain. Right you're out there,
(38:35):
you're enjoying yourself, getting some exercise and building those bonds.
Speaker 4 (38:39):
No, I know, And as you mentioned, there's so many
resources online. ARII co Op. They are coast to coast.
The Sierra Club is another national organizations, and they have
day hikes where they will say a day hike for beginners.
All you that is a bottle water and stick a
(39:01):
few kind bars in your pocket with a pair of
sneakers and you're good to go. And then you could
relate to them and say, look, in a month, there's
another slightly longer trip or a different kind of trip,
and you just start getting momentum there. And as you said,
state parks in every state of the nation, no matter
(39:22):
where you live, all you have to do is go
on Google and say state parks near me and they'll
be more information than you could imagine. So, Kathy, it
has been a pleasure having you on the radio tonight.
It's always great getting with you and Chris and your
family and our extended families and hiking. All right, Kathy,
(39:43):
keep hiking, stay healthy, and thanks very much for coming
on tonight.
Speaker 1 (39:47):
All right, thanks Je.
Speaker 4 (39:48):
Well, that's it for tonight. Hopefully we inspired you some.
Thanks again to Kathy Fenlon for coming on. Stay well. Everybody,
think about hiking. If you have any questions about hiking,
send me a message. That's what we're here for. Take care, everybody,
be blessed.
Speaker 2 (40:04):
You've been listening to Your Health First with doctor Joe Glotti.
For more information on this program or the content of
this program, go to your health First dot com.
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