Dr. Decathlon spreads fitness message
SHEDD, Ore. - Dr. Tim Hindmarsh was out of the office Wednesday, but not because of a tee time.
"Woo hoo! woo hoo," Hindmarsh cried as he glided back to earth from skydiving, landing next to a private lake near Shedd.
No golf today - it's skydiving, water skiing and eight other extreme sports in a personal decathlon Hindmarsh calls "Act Alive."
"I think life is meant to be lived and that means that we need to become active participants," said Hindmarsh.
The doctor said a third to half of his patients are sick because they're not active, leading to weight issues and, for too many, the scourge of diabetes.
"So any part of your body that has small vessels are affected - so kidneys, heart, eyes," he said.
Obesity and diabetes are an epidemic in America that shows no signs of backing off: About two-thirds of Americans are overweight or obese, and nearly 26 million have diabetes.
And being overweight puts you at risk for heart disease, strokes, high blood pressure and kidney failure.
Hindmarsch is fighting back with information - and some amazing feats of endurance. He's not just telling people to get moving. Hindmarsh is jumping into physical fitness with both feet.
Act Alive is 10 sports in 24 hours to spread the message of the benefits of moving.
"You don't have to do this nutty stuff but even gardening, going for a walk, cycling, swimming," the doctor said. "It's a metaphor for owning your life and owning the activity."
Now Hindmarsh knows you're probably not going to leap out of an airplane. The point is, fitness begins with you.
"You can do it if you do a little bit every day and you set goals and you just keep at it," Hindmarsh said.
Hindmarsh said he has raised $35,000 in the past 5 years for diabetes classes at Lebanon Community Hospital.
