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Comment by pengaru | Hacker News Reader

> these issues were only discovered because my dad is somewhat active and noticed a dramatic decrease in his stamina

It can't be overstated how important this aspect of regular physical activity is. The feedback on your body's condition is priceless.

It's like the old adage "it's not a prison if you never try the door". You don't know you're unwell if you never try activities requiring fitness.

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100% this. I've posted on HN a few times about my bouts with cancer. I'm only 35 so symptoms were constantly dismissed as something else. Only because I noticed the drop in my workouts did I have the motivation to really push my PCP for more testing. Knowing your body and being an advocate for yourself are so critical in a "if your arm hurts stop moving your arm" medical culture.

It's tough, because odds are your doctor is right. You are an outlier. For the vast majority of people, if you feel OK, you are OK.

> For the vast majority of people, if you feel OK, you are OK.

I think you might be missing the point entirely here.

You can "feel OK" when a whole lot is NOT OK if your daily existence is extremely sedentary and you never even move your joints through their full range of motion, let alone elevate your heart rate and break a proper sweat.

Exercise is literally about exercising your capabilities. If you don't exercise them, you don't discover they've gone missing until it's too late.

The GP didn't feel ok, though. They noticed abnormal negative symptoms compared to previous experiences which their PCP initially ignored. But they only knew that because they got regular physical activity and so could tell the difference.

You correct. If my dad had only relied on the feedback from his doctor he would still be under the impression he was perfectly healthy. Always remember, it is smart to trust modern medicine, not so much to trust any individual practitioner.

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