A Long-Term Lens on Pharmaceuticals and Health
In the past week alone, I’ve had two separate conversations with two very different people about the same topic: pharmaceuticals as a health intervention.
As a personal trainer, I’m not prescribing medications. And I’m not replacing the role of your primary care provider. Those conversations — especially the specific medical decisions — belong between you and your doctor.
But I do get asked for my opinion. A lot.
Questions about statins. Questions about GLP-1 medications like Ozempic or Wegovy. Questions about blood pressure medications such as Lisinopril. And often the underlying question isn’t just about the medication — it’s about what it means.
Does starting a prescription mean I’ve failed? Does this mean I’ll be on it forever? Is there another way?
Here’s how I tend to frame it.
In some cases, yes — a pharmaceutical prescription is long-term, sometimes lifelong. That reality is something to work through with your PCP. There’s no shame in that, and there’s no trophy for avoiding medication at all costs.
But in many cases, medication can act as a bridge.
A pharmaceutical can help you feel better. It can create relief. It can stabilize something that feels chaotic — blood pressure, blood sugar, cholesterol, appetite, inflammation. And when you feel better, you’re often more capable of doing the very things that improve long-term health.
You might have the energy for a consistent 30-minute walk. You might tackle two strength training sessions a week. You might be more focused when you sit down to plan meals or build a grocery list.
Those small actions stack.
If you can stack wins over three or four months — consistent movement, better sleep, improved nutrition, stress management — and then schedule a recheck with your PCP, you may discover a few possible outcomes:
The medication was temporary and you can taper off.
The medication is helpful long-term and supports your overall health.
You need more time while you continue building lifestyle skills and habits.
All of those outcomes are valid.
Health — and fitness — are moving targets. Your health today is not your health next week, and it certainly isn’t your health six months from now. Biomarkers change. Stress levels change. Seasons of life change.
Being prescribed a pharmaceutical can feel daunting. It can feel like a label or a line in the sand.
I choose to look at it through a long-term lens.
Not as failure. Not as surrender. But as a tool.
Sometimes that tool is permanent. Sometimes it’s temporary. Sometimes it’s simply a stepping stone toward a healthier version of you.
The decision is always yours — guided by your physician. My role is to help you build the habits that make any intervention, pharmaceutical or otherwise, work better in your favor.
Because the goal isn’t to “avoid medication at all costs.” The goal is long-term health.