Physician fitness

Dr. Carlsson with his Granddaughter Morgan

I am a family practice physician in Plattsmouth. I own my own practice and teach third year medical students in my office where they do a one month rotation with me. I met Steve Auxier about eight years ago through my wife, who is one of his competitive power lifters. I meet with Steve personally about two to three times per year.

I don’t have as much free time in the summer to drive to Lincoln to meet with Steve. During golf season we mainly work on flexibility and core work, and in the off season, we do more strength training. He revises my workout every three months and sends it to me through the internet when I cannot meet with him. I also run three days a week and do yoga for power and flexibility one day per week. I walk during the golf season which is about 4 miles per round. I usually play golf two to three times per week. We have two boxers. One is ours and the other belongs to my daughter Erica who recently moved home to go to medical school at Creighton. I will run two miles with one dog, then my wife will drive the other dog out, and I will run the two miles home with that dog. That way we all get some exercise.

I started playing golf in earnest about 10 years ago. Since I am pushing 60, strength and flexibility are important in helping my golf game. The golf swing makes you prone to injury, so back, core work, and shoulder work help protect you against injury. No matter how hard Steve tries, his workouts haven’t helped my putting. My long game, however, has improved substantially.

Exercise is important as it is a good stress reliever, and can be as good as taking a pill for cholesterol in preventing heart disease. I have a treadmill, so I can continue to run in bad weather. We have all the equipment we need in our basement. Occasionally Steve throws in something new like a balance board, and a new piece is then added. I usually am fortunate enough to know my schedule ahead of time so if I have to I will combine workouts. I rarely miss a workout even on vacation.

- Dr. Larry Carlsson

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