Monthly Archives: April 2012
Strange Medical Equipment
A woman hooked up to a psychograph
We have noticed something here at Love to Be Healthy–the more unusual a post is, or the less that is known about a post’s topic, the more interested you readers seem to be. So, that is the reason behind this post. We hope to satisfy some of your curiosity and/or fascination with the unusual and strange by bringing you a bit of info on some unusual medical equipment. We’re not sure who is stranger–the medical equipment manufacturers who made this stuff, the doctors who used the stuff, or the patients who experienced it, but strange bits of medical equipment have crept into the medicine of the past. Let’s look at three of them now, shall we?
- The Psychograph – Once upon a time, medicine became fascinated with the “science” of phrenology. Phrenology studied the various bumps and lumps of a person’s head (the naturally occurring ones) and used these findings to determine things about a person’s disposition and personality. Nervous types were thought to be more prone to certain diseases and conditions, while quiet types or angry types prone to acquiring or catching others. The psychograph was developed to aid phrenologists in measuring the bumps and lumps of the skull more accurately and less-intrusively than doing so by hand. When phrenology went the way of the dodo, so too did the psychograph. However, the catchphrase of the phrenological age, “You ought to have your head examined!” has remained with us, and (in our opion) is quite useful in some situations.
- The Theronid – This was essentially an electromagnetic coil fashioned into a belt. The user placed the belt around the waist and plugged it in to the nearest outlet. The “scientific theory” was that iron in your body helps transfer oxygen between cells, and since the electricity supercharged the iron, your cells were provided with more oxygen. More oxygen to the cells meant better health, better fitness, and a better you. These things were all the rage in the 20s and 30s, with folks swearing by them. They were even credited with curing cancer and gout! There is no medical basis for the claims, but the placebo effect they gave the “patients” who used them may just explain all the miraculous “cures.”
- Animal magnetism – (No, this has nothing to do with veterinary equipment, and no animals were harmed in the writing of this blog post.) In the late 1700s, Franz Mesmer went about with large magnets, claiming that folks’ fluids were all “blocked up” and needed to be released to flow freely and healthily through the body. He would put on these production-number public unblockings, where he would chant, use special lighting and music, and wave magnets over patients’ bodies. He would then claim that they would experience a “magnetic crisis” where the fluids would actually all flow backwards. After a sudden jolt, the patient’s fluids would resume their healthy, natural course of “animal magnetism” and the patient could go on to live a long, healthy life. He was chased out of Vienna by a crowd of unhappy former patients to set up shop in Paris. Eventually, King Louis XVI ordered him investigated, and he quickly disappeared into the unknown. However, like phrenology, he left behind a lasting reminder – the word “mesmerize” is derived from his last name and describes a hypnotic-like state, undoubtedly referring to the mental state of Mesmer’s poor deluded patients.
Is Smokeless Tobacco Safer?
There’s a lot of buzz going around about smokeless tobacco products–how addictive they are, how they are an environmentally safer alternative to smoking, and how they are supposedly safer than smoking tobacco products. Let’s see if we can make some sense of it all, because some of it is true, some of it is mixed-up myth, and some of it is only half-truth. (Apparently, the truth about smokeless tobacco is kind of like Goldilocks and the Three Bears–not good, not bad, and just right.)
1.) Smokeless tobacco is more addictive than cigarettes or other forms of smoking.
TRUE! Smokeless tobacco has been proven by researchers to be more addictive than smoking. The “whys” are a bit undecided, though. Some researchers think it may be because the nicotine is more readily absorbed into the body through the skin of your mouth. This makes sense, because the nicotine from smoking has to be processed through the respiratory system, while the nicotine from smokeless tobacco is absorbed right into the bloodstream through the capillaries in the skin. Others think it may be because most users of smokeless tobacco tend to use more, and more often, than smokers can. Think about it for a moment. The guy in the cubicle next to you can have a pinch of snuff in his mouth all day long, while the smokers in the office have to wait until break time to light up. Either way, you have a recipe for stronger nicotine absorption.
2.) Smokeless tobacco is a more environmentally friendly habit than smoking.
MAYBE. While it’s true that smokeless tobacco users aren’t clogging up everyone’s airspace with toxic fumes and smoke, and they aren’t littering butts, ashes and filters that take years to disintegrate all about, the plastic cans and foil pouches of smokeless tobacco products can be just as difficult to recycle back into nature or other products. While the air quality is improved, the amount of junk going into the landfill may be just as high.
3.) Smokeless tobacco is safer to use than smoking.
WRONG! Smokeless tobacco may save your lungs from cancer-causing toxins, your mouth, teeth, gums, throat, and lips will all suffer exposure and potential damage. Smokeless tobacco stains and damages your teeth. It can harm your gums. It has been proven to cause cancer of the mouth and throat. A bit less life-threatening, but no less painful, is a possible link to swallowing tobacco “juices” and stomach conditions like acid reflux and ulcers. On the health front, smokeless tobacco may actually be more potentially harmful than smoking!
So what are you to do? How to quit chewing tobacco or using snuff? There are alternatives to the dangerous “real” stuff that you can try. They don’t break your habit, but they are non-nicotine-filled smokeless tobacco alternatives that give you the feel, the flavor, and the satisfaction of smokeless without threatening your overall health and well-being. Non-tobacco snuff and chew have been shown to help kick the unsafe, unhealthy habit of using smokeless tobacco, and get you on the track to having a tobacco-free lifestyle. A tobacco-free lifestyle is really best for you, and for everyone who cares about you. And that is no myth, legend, or misunderstanding. It’s 100% rock-solid truth!
Is Refurbished Medical Equipment Safe?
In today’s uncertain economy, everybody seems to be tightening their belts and coming up with ways to save a bit of money wherever they can. Healthcare professionals are no different than you or me in that respect. They are picking up all sorts of used medical machines to adequately supply their offices, clinics and even hospitals. All sorts of refurbished medical equipment is available on the market today. The savvy medical administrator or chief medical officer can choose from a wide array of used EKG machines, used autoclaves (the devices that sterilize all the surgical tools and equipment), used patient monitors, even used radiological equipment. And they do.
Outdated medical machines are replaced with “new” pieces for a fraction of the cost. Worn-out equipment is replaced rather than repaired because in many instances even buying used is still less expensive than fixing it up. And new practices are often furnished for a fraction of the cost with refurbished medical equipment, saving the new provider countless thousands or even tens of thousands. But just how safe is all this second-hand stuff? How do you, the patient, know that the medical machines in your provider’s office are safe, sound, and accurate? Are they really capable of doing the same job as brand-new, out-of-the-box equipment? Well, in a word, yes!
Refurbished medical equipment isn’t like that lemon of a used car your brother-in-law talked you into buying from him for a “great deal.” It must pass through a rigorous screening and certification process before it can be placed on the resale market. And not just anybody can sell second-hand medical equipment, either. No, most dealers in refurbished medical equipment have some sort of certification or license. And all of their repair people are typically factory-trained and/or certified in their area of expertise. So, you can trust your used medical machine dealer a little more than you can trust your brother-in-law, I assure you.
Each piece of used medical equipment, be it a used EKG machine or a second-hand anesthesia console, has to go through a rigorous and thorough inspection, cleaning, and repair process. The machine may even be torn completely apart and reassembled, to avoid any hidden problems which could arise later. Each piece of refurbished medical equipment is treated to a complete and thorough cleaning and sanitizing, to ensure that germs and dirt from its previous location do not travel with it to its new home. And those certified and highly trained repair folks we discussed just a minute ago? Well, when they’re not busy fixing things, they are looking for things to fix. They disassemble and reassemble each piece of equipment to ensure that all is in working order. They calibrate or recalibrate all needed settings, to ensure that all readings are proper and correct. All to guarantee that when that refurbished medical equipment, whatever it may be, arrives at its next destination, it is in tip-top, 100% working order. And that means confidence and safety for you!
Physical Fitness for High Schoolers
Teens today seem like perpetual motion machines, always zooming about from place to place. Studies show, though, that most teens don’t get enough exercise, sleep, or proper nutrition. While a shopping trip for you or I at the mall might involve hours on our feet walking from store to store, for a typical teen girl it’s more likely to be hours spent sitting in the food court with her pals, sipping sodas and munching on fries while checking out the guys as they pass by and updating their Facebook statuses. And when at home, those same boys are more likely to be engaged comfortably on the couch with the latest video or computer game, only to be interrupted by trips to the fridge, or to check the texts on their cell phones.
So, what to do with the sedentary, soda-slurping, junk-food munching teen? Regardless of the high school PE class’s teachings, and the endless rounds of healthy-eating lessons in the health and PE lesson plans, it never quite seems to sink in, does it? PE programs and school lessons can make a difference, but it takes a bit more than that for most of our kids.
Here are some suggestions to improve the health and fitness of not just you, but your teen, too:
- Family fitness – Don’t leave your teen’s fitness solely in the hands of the neighborhood pick-up games or the high school PE program. Make fitness and healthy eating a family thing. Plan family activities that are, well, active. Go for bike rides before dinner, or to fill up a weekend afternoon. Organize football games in the back yard. Take on a family fitness challenge. Sign up for family classes at the Y or community center. If your teen balks at spending so much time with “the fam” let them invite a friend along. When your entire family makes fitness a priority, your teen likely won’t feel singled out or be embarrassed if they aren’t as physically adept as they think they should be. And by making fitness an important thing for the whole family, you’ll all benefit from your efforts. Who knows, you just might establish some lifelong healthy habits.
- Goodbye, Junk Food! – Teens are growing and experiencing body changes equivalent to those that a toddler goes through. All that internal growth and change needs fuel. Thus, your teen has suddenly acquired the eating habits of your average pregnant elephant cow! To keep them from reaching for the carbs and caffeine loaded drinks, supply them with healthy forms of energy. Fresh fruits and veggies, yogurt, cheese and other dairy products, high-fiber grains–stock that fridge with healthy food and drink and watch everyone’s overall well-being improve!
- Catch Some Z’s – Most teens don’t get enough sleep each night, researchers say. Just as growing toddlers need naps and earlier bedtimes, so do our growing teens. Chronic sleep deprivation can lower energy levels, making your teen a sluggish layabout. It can also lead to carb cravings as the body tries to obtain the energy it needs (but isn’t getting from sleep) from food sources. Teens should sleep an average of 8.5-9.5 hours a night. Sleeping in and staying up late on weekends can mess up the body’s established sleep pattern, too, making it more difficult to get to sleep or stay asleep on weekdays. Setting a regular bedtime for your teen isn’t necessarily the answer, though. The body adjusts to a much later sleep time, closer to 11pm, in adolescence. That can make getting those 9 1/2 hours difficult. The answer? NAPS! Just like your toddler can benefit from an afternoon snooze, an after-school rest can seriously improve the health, fitness, and overall well-being of your teen. So, maybe it’s okay to be a “layabout” every now and then.
Fresh Ideas for PE This Fall
I know, I know, it’s only spring, but since failing to plan can be a plan to fail, it’s never to late to discuss ideas for your physical education program for this coming fall. It’s also the perfect time to apply for physical education grants and other funding to ensure that your PE equipment needs are met, on time and in time, for the coming school year. So, let’s forget the beautiful spring sunshine and gentle spring rains just for a moment to imagine ourselves surrounded instead by October’s bright blue weather and falling leaves, shall we?
- Pedometer Project- This project can be completed by any grade and any age, so it’s perfect for all physical education programs. You simply need one pedometer per student and some prepared activities.
Beginning on Monday, you assign each student their pedometer and supply them with a chart or card on which to record their steps each day. Then, you go about your class as you normally would. The trick is to change up the activities each day, so that the students can compare the number of steps (and hopefully by that, the exercise level) for each day’s activity.
Some suggestions for activities include jump rope, run/walk on the track, scooter games, chasing games like tag, various movements–skipping, hopping, jumping–three-legged races, and maybe even an obstacle course. Students not only have a fresh activity every day, but they can see which ones are the most active.
- Football “Camp”- With the fall comes the football frenzy. Take advantage of your students’ interest to add some freshness to your physical education program! Again, this can apply to any age and any grade by simply adapting the difficulty of the activities.
Younger students could learn the rudimentary elements of passing, catching, punting, and kicking, as well as the basic rules of the game. Older students could be challenged with hoops to pass through, distance challenges for passing, punting, and kicking.End the unit with a friendly game of flag football. Bring in some tumbling mats or grooving dance moves and turn the entire class into a cheering squad. Or how about teaching a precise drill set to music and forming your own marching “band” for the halftime show? Are you ready for some football?!
- A Year-Long Challenge- Whether you decide on the Presidential Fitness Council’s challenge, the SHAPE magazine challenge, or simply one you and your students agree to giving a go, the launch of a year-long fitness challenge can really liven things up.
Challenges are a great way to engage those students who may not possess any great athletic skill or talent, but do possess a healthy competitive spirit. Challenges are also a great way to involve everyone, from parents to teachers to the community as a whole.Everyone loves a good challenge and the promise of rewards that completing the challenge brings. Blast off the new year with a new goal, and an awesome kick-off celebration to go along with it!
What is Radiosurgery?
Radiosurgery is a bit of a misleading term, as it is not a true surgical procedure. With radiosurgery, there is no cutting, no open wound, no blood, and no stitches or staples to close you back up. Radiosurgery involves pinpointed radiation, not scalpels and sutures. One type of radiosurgery is called gamma knife surgery and has been around for about 40 years. Radiosurgery has been proven very effective in the treatment of brain tumors. Brain tumor surgery without the use of a gamma knife or other radiosurgical method can be highly dangerous and carry many risks. Gamma knife brain tumor surgery carries fewer risks and dangers.
The gamma knife was developed in Sweden in the late 60s. It uses 201 sources of cobalt radiation to deliver pinpoint radiation therapy to the affected area of the brain. Metastatic brain tumors, in particular, are excellent candidates for gamma knife surgery because they are often in hard-to-reach, previously “inoperable” locations. Unlike traditional radiation therapy, gamma knife surgery, with its ability to more accurately focus the radiation, seldom (if ever) affects any of the surrounding tissue. It goes straight for the tumor and nothing more. By using relatively low doses, the healthy tissue between the source and the tumor isn’t harmed, either. The combination of all those sources of radiation converging on one area of the tumor, however, has the wonderful effect of killing the cancer cells and causing the tumor to stop growing–and in some cases, shrink or disappear altogether.
While seriously deadly to the brain tumors it goes after, radiosurgery can have some seriously good side effects for the patient. Traditional, conventional neurosurgery, requiring the opening of the skull, requires a hospital stay of up to 15 days, more if complications arise. Radiosurgery can be performed over a period of up to 5 days, all as an outpatient procedure. Radiosurgery is less expensive than conventional neurosurgery, no doubt because there is no hospital stay involved. Radiosurgery also has fewer side effects–a lower death rate, no risk of infection, less pain, and less intrusion on a patient’s life and lifestyle. Most patients can assume their normal activities within 24 hours of the procedure. So, radiosurgery can have you up and at ‘em the next day.
There are some things radiosurgery can’t do, though. It is seldom used to treat tumors larger than 4 centimeters in size. It can’t be used to treat tumors that pose a risk to spinal cord, auditory nerves, or brain stem. And it can’t be used to treat tumors causing intercranial pressure. That’s because radiosurgery does not remove the tumor. It only stops its growth. In some cases, the tumors do shrink and disappear, but in many cases, they remain the same size, never growing but never shrinking, either.
How Does An Outbreak Develop?
Epidemic. Outbreak. Even the words send shivers down our spines and conjure up images of despair, disease, and death. In ancient times, we faced uncertainties when an outbreak would strike, not knowing from whence the illness and death had come, or why. In more recent epidemics, we’ve known where the disease came from, but were not sure how, or even if, we could treat it. And so, throughout history, the terms “epidemic” and “outbreak” have always carried fear and anxiety along with them. Today, the thought of unknown biological terrorism has folks on edge again, finding medical supplies online and stocking up for emergency preparedness. You can buy your own airway management supplies, infection control supplies–basically you can stock up your own home as a hospital ward. Yes, the fear of another epidemic or outbreak is just as real today as it was for our ancient ancestors.
However, knowledge often dispels fear, as the enlightenment that accompanies it chases out at least some of the shadows lurking in the dark corners of our mind. And so, with that in mind, let’s examine just exactly how an outbreak can occur. We’ll take something slightly less scary too–the chicken pox–as our working example, so you can sleep a little easier tonight.
1.) Little Johnny goes to visit his grandma for a big party in honor of her 60th birthday. Present at this party are Little Johnny’s cousins, gathered from all over the country. One of his cousins, Little Emily, has been exposed to the chicken pox, but luckily hasn’t shown any symptoms, yet. Little Johnny and Little Emily spend a lot of time playing together and having a good time. Little Johnny has now been exposed to the chicken pox through his contact with Little Emily. Only no one knows it.
2.) Little Johnny’s parents passed on the chicken pox vaccine when it was offered. After all, to them, chicken pox is just a normal part of childhood and they didn’t see the harm in not having him vaccinated. The pediatrician in their small town didn’t push the vaccine, either, as he and other medical professionals aren’t completely convinced of its efficacy.
3.) Little Johnny returns to school on Monday after his weekend at grandma’s. He is full of stories about the party, and about his new favorite cousin. And he’s also full of the chicken pox virus.
4.) Two days after returning home from the party, Aunt Rachel calls grandma with the sad, sorry news that Little Emily has come down with the chicken pox. Grandma prescribes chicken soup and oatmeal baths. No one thinks to call Little Johnny’s folks.
5.) Two weeks after the party, Little Johnny’s got a sore throat and an earache and just wants to stay home. Since it’s Friday, his mom tucks him up in bed and tells dad he’s probably picked up some “bug going around.” By Saturday, he’s breaking out in spots from head to toe and running a fever. The chicken pox have arrived!
6.) By the end of the month, nearly 1/2 of Johnny’s classmates are also down with the chicken pox, and the outbreak has claimed over 1/3 of the student population. The students in a school in a neighboring small town, many of whom claim the same doctor as their own, are also victims.
7.) The outbreak finally comes to a halt after both school systems are closed and children are not allowed to return unless they are completely symptom free.
Our little outbreak here wasn’t life threatening, although chicken pox is no small scratch in the scheme of things. But what we saw was a complacency on the part of available prevention–both the doctor’s and both cousins’ parent’s–that led to the spread of the pox. Then, we see another opportunity for prevention–the missed phone call from grandma or Aunt Rachel–that should’ve alerted Little Johnny’s family to the possible exposure. Since Little Johnny didn’t know he was a walking biological time bomb, his activities weren’t curbed. He infected others, which in turn infected still more. And that is how most outbreaks develop, one exposure at a time, from either negligence, thoughtlessness, and the worst of all–unawareness.
Lasers in Ophthalmology
Ophthalmic instruments have come a long way since the days of the ancient Wadjet amulet to ward off eye injuries and Friedrich Dimmer’s first fundus camera of the early 1900s. As new technology has come along, ophthalmologists have often been the first in the medical field to embrace it. And with the advent of the ophthalmic laser 40 or so years ago, all you need to do to experience the sci-fi world of laser medicine is to have a routine eye exam at your local ophthalmologist’s office. Ophthalmic instruments have gone light-years ahead of the old Wadjet, let me tell you!
Don’t expect a laser treatment right off the bat. Ophthalmology reserves laser treatments for certain age groups and certain conditions. Diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration patients, for example, have their own standard laser treatment. Those who wish to do away with, or at least reduce the thickness of, their glasses, may qualify for LASIK surgery. And for those with cataracts, well, you guessed it–there’s another special laser just for them. So, while you may see a laser in action, or at least hear of one being used, you may not automatically get to experience one first hand.
- Diabetic retinopathy and macular degeneration – In both of these conditions, damage is done to the retina at the back of the eye. In diabetic retinopathy, the damage is done by tiny blood vessels which grow over the retina. These tiny blood vessels then break open and bleed, causing damage to the eye, and the person’s vision. Ophthalmology uses laser photocoagulation treatment to burn away the tiny vessels and stop the bleeding and loss of vision. In macular degeneration, the macula or center of the retina is damaged by an overgrowth of tiny blood vessels. Laser photocoagulation treatments once again remove the blood vessels, leaving sight restored.
- Cataracts – Cataracts are a clouding over of the lens in the eye. This seriously diminishes and can completely obstruct sight. Ophthalmologists can now remove the cataract and restore vision. But a common side effect of cataract surgery is posterior capsular opacification–a thickening and hardening of the back portion of the lens. Use of a YAG laser can remedy this by painlessly and easily making a few holes in the portion of the lens affected. This allows sight to be restored.
- LASIK surgery – LASIK surgery uses an excimer laser to reshape the eye itself. This can correct vision problems both minor and major. Ophthalmologists use LASIK surgery to help patients see without the use of glasses or contacts. In some cases where the eye deformity is severe, the procedure can take visual acuity from near blindness to correctable with some sort of glasses or contacts. In these cases, a patient may feel as if sight has been restored, even if true blindness wasn’t present.
Ophthalmic lasers: helping people to see the light!
Are you a Breast Reduction Candidate?
Sometimes, the more the better. And sometimes more is just too more. And at other times, less is truly more. If you are a woman whose bustline is more than you would like, you may be wishing that you could have less to have more. If your front is causing your back problems, or if it is ruining your chances at overall health and fitness, or if you are simply tired of having folks speak to your chest instead of your face, plastic surgery may just have the cure for your overabundance.
Breast reduction surgery is almost as popular today as breast augmentation procedures. Gals are looking to downsize their front sides in a big (or is that small?) way. Breast reduction procedures, whether to reverse and remove breast augmentations like implants, or just reduce the size of the natural tissues, were one of the top-ten most common plastic surgery procedures of 2011. It all started in Hollywood, apparently. Many of the celebrities who had breast augmentation done 10 or 15 years ago are now trying to age gracefully and naturally. And having the perky, pretty breasts of a 20-year-old aren’t the way for the now 30- to 40-something stars to have a natural looking figure. So, the smaller-is-better trend was born.
Not everyone has enough of a front line to merit a breast reduction procedure. After all, you’ve got to have something to reduce. If, however, your bust is causing you health issues–either physical or emotional–then you probably qualify. What sort of issues make you a likely candidate?
- Back or shoulder pain – If your bust is so large that it strains your back muscles to keep you upright, you have a problem worthy of breast reconstruction surgery. If your bra cuts into your shoulders from the weight to the point of everyday pain and discomfort, you have a problem worthy of the procedure as well.
- Compromised overall health and fitness – If your chest is keeping you from performing at your best, you have a problem worthy of breast reduction surgery. If your bustline is so large that being physically active is difficult or painful, you have a problem worthy of breast reduction surgery.
- Respiratory difficulties – If the weight of the outside of your chest is causing shortness of breath, or if slouching to relieve the pain and pressure your chest is placing on your back and neck is keeping you from taking deep, proper breaths, you have a problem worthy of breast reduction.
- Skin problems – Often, the skin-to-skin contact of large breasts released from their bras can cause rashes and breakouts. If this is you, you may have a problem worthy of breast reduction surgery.
- Self-esteem – If you are tired of people talking into your cleavage instead of your face, you probably know the effect a large bustline can have on your self esteem. You most likely make a good candidate for breast reduction surgery, too.
Whatever your problem, if less-is-more is the case for you, see a good plastic surgeon and discuss your options. And remember, sometimes it’s the little things that mean the most in life.
Two Sports to Try this Spring
Spring is here for the Northern Hemisphere and it’s time to get outdoors and get active. Not too long ago, we covered a post on spring sports for the kids to try this year. Let’s take a look at two sporting endeavors more suited to the moms in the crowd, shall we? These activities aren’t too complicated, so beginners can jump right in. On the other hand, they offer great opportunities to grow and develop in skill and ability, so you can stick with it long past your rookie season.
- Golf – Golf may not seem like an likely sport just to try, but it is easier to begin than you think. You can rent or borrow clubs, take lessons (either group or private if you’re the bashful type) and not have to put much of an investment into the endeavor. Ladies golf skorts and other women’s golf clothes are so versatile these days that you can create countless outfit combos just by adding a few items to your closet. Spend some time at the driving range, experimenting with all the available clubs and working on your swing. Watch some instructional videos, too. And then put all that good advice to use as often as possible. Whether you ever reach the Pro-Am circuit or simply while away a few afternoons wacking a few balls into the rough, a good golf game without a cart can burn off 300-500 calories. Good cardio without the exertion!
- Tennis – Tennis is another sport that may seem like a difficult one to break into, but like golfing, it’s not as bad as you think. All you really need is a good racket, and you might just be able to pick one of those up at a second-hand shop or yard sale. Your tennis shoes and a cool, comfy outfit are all the wardrobe you require. (As with ladies golf clothing, how specialized your wardrobe is will depend on your wallet, your time and your commitment to the game.) Many community centers and Ys offer classes, in both group and private lessons. Many communities have public courts available for you to use free of charge, as well. And tennis is very good for your overall fitness level, what with the running, jumping, and ball smacking required to play even a beginner’s game. Jumping the net is optional, though.
Some sports, like cycling and kayaking require a large investment of time and money. Their very costliness makes them a poor choice for the beginner. Tennis and golf, on the other hand, aren’t nearly as expensive money-wise. Time is another matter, especially if you want to get good enough at them to really enjoy competing. But whether or not you ever make it out of the minors, both tennis and golf can offer hours of fun and great fitness, to0–just remember to wear sunscreen!