Physical, mental health emphasized at Men’s Night

By Tom Hintgen (Contact) | The Daily Journal

Published Friday, February 29, 2008

Staying healthy can, in part, be as simple as drinking less coffee, drinking more water, watching portions of food and doing even a modest amount of exercise. This lifestyle practice allows Ron Schara to live life to the fullest.

Schara, guest speaker Thursday evening during the first ever Men’s Night at Legacy Hall, MSCTC, Fergus Falls, is best known as host of the television series “Minnesota Bound,” and as an outdoors columnist for the Minneapolis Star Tribune.

Along with hunting and fishing stories that entertained the audience, Schara also emphasized the importance of good physical and mental health.

With his faithful dog, Raven, by his side, Schara told scores of Men’s Night participants how he broke the smoking habit after 20 years and how he came to control what doctors later diagnosed as the causes for fainting spells.

“Quitting smoking was one of the greatest gifts I ever gave to myself,” Schara said.

A sudden drop in a person’s blood pressure can cause fainting. In Schara’s case, blood vessels didn’t react fast enough when his body's need for oxygen changed. This is very common among people 50 and older.

“My doctors told me I needed to drink a lot more water,” Schara said, “so now I drink at least 64 ounces of water a day. I learned the hard way that, for me, humid conditions, drinking too much coffee and not drinking enough water are a combination for trouble.”

As a person who has been, in his words, “addicted to wild turkey hunting,” staying healthy allows him to climb hills in the outdoors and enjoy what he dearly loves.

“You not only stay healthy for yourself,” he said. “You also owe it to your family. For me, I see health coming in two packages: physical health and mental health. For the latter, I connect this (mental health) to enjoyment of fishing, hunting and just being in the great outdoors.”

Men’s Night, sponsored by the Lake Region Hospital Foundation, Lake Region Healthcare, Fergus Falls Medical Group and MSCTC, drew a good turnout despite icy roads in the Fergus Falls area.

“This has been a wonderful event, and an opportunity for men to learn so many things about staying healthy,” said Buzz Lundeen who was the winner of a four-person weight-loss competition that began two months ago. Other participants were Rick Schara, brother of guest speak Ron Schara, Mick Siems and Joel Myhre.

Other guest speakers included Drs. Stephen Lipson and Wade Swenson and physical therapist John Gervais. Booths, displays and health screenings also were part of the first Men’s Night.

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