As you begin looking for a wellness retreat, it’s important to understand what separates a weekend spa trip from a true wellness retreat. If you are interested in changing your life for good, it’s essential that you find a retreat that can personalize a program for your specific needs. A one-size-fits-most program is not going to work for everyone, particularly if you have any type of medical challenge.
When people hear the term medical assessment, they don’t typically think of wellness. However, the two tems are completely often inter-related. When it comes to changing your life, a medical assessment is the first stage in your journey to wellness.
Your Journey to Wellness
When you begin a journey, you need to know where you are and where you want to go. Visiting a wellness retreat is the beginning a journey. It’s the start of a journey that will take you to a wonderful destination: wellness. It may be the most important journey you’ve ever taken in your life.
At the start of your journey, you must assess the condition of your most personal vehicle, your body. Just as with any journey, you must understand where you’re at to successfully chart a course to your destination. A medical assesment is imperative to understanding where you are physically. And that’s why the top wellness retreats offer comprehensive medical assessments as a standard component of the program.
A medical assessment provides you with a thorough understanding of your present state of health. But just as importantly, it provides your wellness staff with a clear picture of where you’re at on the path to wellness. And with that information, they can guide you successfully to your destination.
Getting to Know You
A medical assessment gives the staff at your wellness retreat a true picture of the real you. It establishes your starting point on the journey to wellness and helps to identify any root causes of your health issues. It must be a comprehensive assessment to offer an accurate view of your present medical conditions or challenges. A complete medical assessment will include:
- Physical exams and blood tests
- Vital signs measurements and assessments
- Weight and body composition measurements (including body mass index and waist-to-hip ratio)
- Aerobic testing and neuromuscular assessments
- Flexibility and range-of-motion testing
- Strength and endurance evaluations
- Balance testing and assessments
- Posture and alignment assessments
- In-depth, one-on-one review and consultation with doctor
It’s also crucial that in-house doctors at your wellness retreat spend time reviewing your health history. Ultimately, your medical assessment should provide guidance for creating a program that’s perfectly attuned to you and will help you accomplish your wellness goals.
A Step in the Right Direction…
It’s been said that every journey begins with a single step. But if that very first step is taken in the wrong direction, then every step that follows will take you further from your destination, not closer.
Your journey to wellness is no different. To effect real, life-long change in your health, a wellness retreat must perform a comprehensive medical assessment. The assessment will create an accurate portrait of your current state of health and fitness. There’s simply no other way to truly understand where you’re at on your journey to wellness.
Learn more about medical assessments and your wellness.
