Watching a story last year on KPRC, photojournalist Cesar Martinez said it showed him simple health tests that revealed his health may be on the line.
“I saw Haley do all kinds of tests, one of the tests she did was a plank, so I said ‘I wonder if I can do a plank’ and I tried doing a plank and it was the hardest thing I ever did and I was like something has to change this is bad,” Martinez said.
He made a huge change since that report aired.
“I've lost 70 pounds, it hasn't been, I wouldn't say it's the hardest thing I’ve ever done you just have to change the way you eat,” he said.
“Cesar’s efforts to lose weight weren't easy but he did it and maybe trying to plank every day and seeing how long you can last and build that core strength can help you avoid back pain, help you reduce obesity,” Dr. Herman Grewal from American Family Care Urgent Care said a healthy person should be able to hold a plank for one minute.
If you cannot, it could mean you're at risk for something serious like back pain or obesity, which leads to diabetes, dementia, and sleep apnea.
Another task that's equally revealing is standing from a seated position on the floor.
“If you try to get up directly into a standing position, not only are you looking at your leg strength but your ability balance as well. So, if you have to put a hand on the ground it might just mean that your balance isn't all there,” Dr. Grewal said.
Plus, the proof of good health is in the numbers. Grewal recommends regularly taking your blood pressure.
“If you check your blood pressure and you notice it’s a bit high but you also have headaches or changes in your vision, or you just don't feel well in general plus the high blood pressure, it definitely means you should get into the doctor's office pretty soon,” Grewal said.
One year after Cesar admitted he failed all of these, his numbers reflect good health and he said he feels better.
“Carrying the camera around all day, definitely you can feel it in your body, you can feel it in your knees and losing the pounds that I’ve lost I can definitely feel it,” he said. “I can move around better, I feel better, I’m not as tired and it just feels a lot better to be lighter.”
Martinez and his wife bought personal training sessions for Valentine’s Day 2016 and made a drastic change in diet. He said he still has not met his goal weight and is working to lose 30 more pounds.