"Apparently having a regular exercise program helped save my life,” 13-year Center for Fitness member Marty Berg said soberly. Marty recently under-went open-heart surgery to clear the blockages that formed in three major arteries leading to his heart.
Self-proclaimed 'Cheeseburger Lover'
The 56-year-old St. Louis native is director of marketing and communications for a not-for-profit apartment-rehab-and-acquisition lender. “I sit a lot,” he admitted. “My blood pressure is borderline, controlled by medication, and I haven’t smoked since 1983.” Marty said he relied on his strong Irish-German constitution to carry the weight of some bad habits. “I thought I could continue overeating even though I carried 50 extra pounds,” said the avid St. Louis Cardinals fan and cheeseburger lover. “I had resisted making lifestyle changes regularly suggested by my physician and by my wife.”
Marty is married to Gina Orlando, MA, CH, a wellness consultant and hypnotherapist who regularly conducts group hypnotherapy programs at Gottlieb Center for Fitness. “I figured that I was in relatively ‘good shape’ because I exercised regularly,” he said.
Marty’s routine consisted of four or five of the weight machines (upper and lower body); a rowing machine/bicycle (which, he had abandoned earlier this year because he had noticed it made him too tired); and a medium paced-walk, 30 to 40 minutes on a treadmill.
Regular exercise: An asset to wellness
“There is no guarantee of good health, but engaging in regular exercise is, without a doubt, a tremendous asset to overall wellness,” said Marty’s heart surgeon at Gottlieb, George Hodakowski, MD. “Marty is to be commended for his desire to change his lifestyle and continuing to exercise appropriately at the Fitness Center will aid in his recovery.”
Marty is quick to point out that, despite all the arterial blockages, he never actually had a heart attack. “I didn’t even have chest pain or swelling in my legs,” he marveled. “After my surgery, Dr. Hodakowski told my wife that my regular exercise program could well have been the reason for this. My physical activity strengthened other, peripheral arteries to supply blood to the heart.”
The path of recovery
Marty is making some important new changes on his path of recovery. “My wife and others really wanted to help me, but I wasn't ready to heal my issues with food and overeating, “ he said. “Now my body has talked very loudly, and I'm listening.” Marty feels his experience has been shocking yet humbling. “I am pursuing a holistic healing approach and after cardiac rehab will resume working out three times a week at Gottlieb Center for Fitness.”
LOYOLA UNIVERSITY HEALTH SYSTEM