As the season changes, so does our opportunity to prioritize our mental and physical health. Dr. Steven Conroy, founder of the BOOST Performance & Longevity Center and a board-certified emergency medicine physician with over a decade and a half of experience, shares his expert advice on extending our "healthspan"—the period of an individual's life during which they are generally healthy, active, and free from serious illness or disease. By recommending regular physical activity, a balanced diet, stress management, sufficient sleep, and early intervention strategies like lipid management, Dr. Conroy aims to optimize health and reduce aging risks.
What are some key strategies you recommend for individuals looking to stay active and healthy as they age?
Staying active and healthy as you age involves a holistic approach that considers personalized nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being. Some of these key factors include allotting time for properly planning nutritionally balanced meals consisting of nutrient-dense foods, engaging in regular exercise including strength training, and training the cardiovascular system in various zones, as well as supplementation as needed, stress management, and quality sleep practices.
How do advanced diagnostics and lab testing contribute to developing effective, personalized treatment plans?
Understanding an individual's family history, genetics, and a host of data obtained from labs allows me to create a personalized plan that is most optimal for that patient. The data we obtain from the DEXA scan, extensive laboratory panels, the history of the patient, and genetic testing are comprehensive enough to help guide their health in the most optimal trajectory.
What benefits have your patients experienced from individualized, integrative medicine?
On several occasions, I have been able to make drastic changes in diet and lifestyle, with the addition of some supplementation, to reduce an individual's APO B (plaque-causing cholesterol) from well above 180 to nearly 85 without the use of medication. However, I will use medication when I can no longer push the needle or think it is imperative that we treat more aggressively. I also have been able to utilize similar techniques to get an individual patient's blood pressure from the 180s down to the 130s without the use of medication, using the techniques mentioned above.
If you would like to optimize your health, check BOOST out online at www.boostplc.com, sign up as a patient, stop by to check us out, or follow us on instagram at @boostperformancelc.
"Staying active and healthy as you age involves a holistic approach that considers personalized nutrition, exercise, and mental well-being."