Exercise Gets Charles the Heart Rate of a 20-Year-Old
Charles Griffith was a smoker for 48 years, but on his wife Jane’s 63rd birthday, the pair decided to stop. Not only did Charles and his wife (also a member) stop smoking, they began making a more concerted effort to increase their exercise. First, they started working out at home, and then later stepped up their commitment by joining the Pavilion in 2008.
Charles' Epiphany: Exercise is "Tantamount to Good Health"
“I didn’t realize just how much exercise is tantamount to good health,” says Charles. “We were active while we were working and raising a family (Trey and Deborah), but not fully dedicated.” Charles sold Caterpillar equipment and Jane was a nurse.
After joining, Charles was exercising five days a week, doing a mix of cardiovascular work and strength training – hard work that paid off when Charles ended up in Bethesda North’s Emergency Department due to chest and left arm pain.“The doctors examined me and asked if I was an athlete because my heart rate was registering that of someone in their twenties,” he says.
Even with the good news, it was determined that Charles had blockage that needed to be dealt with. Having received two stents, Charles attended an educational class that all heart patients at Bethesda North go through before being discharged. “Technically, I qualified for rehabilitation, but was able to forego it because of my regular workout routine at the Pavilion.”
In fact, Charles’s surgeon, Christopher Thoresen, MD, told him, “Your past history is catching up with you, but exercise is saving you.” And this is just fine with Charles and Jane Griffith, who enjoy meeting for game night each week with their children and grandchildren, one of whom also is a Pavilion member (Charles Griffith IV). Congratulations to Charles Griffith – a true success story!