Category: Wellness

Wellness Category

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Challenge update

Our latest challenge has come to an end. Great job, the turn out was awesome! There were a number of competitors that lost right around the 2% range in total weight lost. That’s outstanding and preps them very well for the holiday season. Stay strong through this season and let’s start 2014 on top.

Congratulations to Benjamin for losing the most and finishing the challenge 4% lighter, great JOB Ben!!! He says, “that’s only the beginning and that there is more to come!”

The challenges are great ways to get started on your fitness quest. It doesn’t always have to be a weight loss challenge. You can challenge yourself to do some kind of exercise activity for a determined number of days in a row, or walk a specific distance by determined date. There are many ways to spark that competitive nature. You can even set up a challenge at work to see how much the entire office can lose in weight or who can stay the most consistent with their vegetable intake.

Recruit some friends, make it fun and have and add some excitement about your fitness plans.

Stay strong!!

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Movember

Sporting a Moustache for Men’s Cancer

Perhaps you’ve noticed there a lot of guys going around sporting hair on their upper lip. Do not be afraid. Movember – where Mo, short for moustache, and November come together – is steadily gaining popularity as men start out clean-shaven and grow a moustache all month long in order to raise awareness for men’s cancer. Men who support Movember are called Mo Bros. And everyone knows that behind every great man is a great woman, or in this case, a Mo Sista. Together they not only raise awareness but funds for men’s health. The hope is by putting a fun twist on this serious issue, we can “bring about change and give men the opportunity and confidence to learn and talk about their health more openly and take action.”1

 

Originally started in Australia, Movember has become a global movement to change the face of men’s health – particularly prostate and testicular cancer. “In the US, one in six men will be diagnosed with prostate cancer in their lifetime making it the most frequently diagnosed cancer in men after skin cancer.”2 Believe it or not, men are 35% more likely to be diagnosed with prostate cancer then women are to be diagnosed with breast cancer. But still prostate cancer has relatively low support and awareness in comparison to women’s health causes. It’s time for this to change and Movember is a great start. On the other side, “testicular cancer is the most common cancer in young men between the ages of 15 and 35.”3 The good news is that if it’s found and treated early, it has a cure rate of 95%. 

 

Want to participate in the MOvement? It’s easy. Even if you’re late joining the moustache party. Odds are, you might even know a team that is participating…log on to movember.com to check, or visit here for other ways to donate. And remember, all’s fair in love and moustachery!

  

Resources:

 

1 http://us.movember.com/mens-health

2 http://us.movember.com/mens-health/prostate-cancer

3 http://us.movember.com/mens-health/testicular-cancer

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Finish the year off strong

 

How are you going to finish?

The Holiday season upon us which signifies 2013 is coming to a close. Are you on track to meet your goals? Have you fallen off a bit? This time of year most individuals do lose a little, OK a lot, of motivation and are just looking to get through the year. “It’s a tough time to stick to anything; I’ll just start in January”. We all know people that have said that right, maybe even you?

It doesn’t have to be like that. How are you going to finish 2013? Why not finish the year off STRONG? Commit to yourself that you’re going to finish stronger than you have ever finished any year.

I was just watching a popular video from Nick Vujicic, http://youtu.be/xYWPLxVJca0, on this very subject. I’m sure that you all have seen it, but take another look again and challenge yourself to finish strong.

One push-up or twenty push-ups, just finish one step closer to your 2013 goals.

Train Safe   Train Hard   Train for LIFE!

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Baby Boomer Blast

It’s never too late to get started

I often hear that “I’d like to get started with a fitness program but I’m too old” or “I have too many medical issues to workout”.  That’s not entirely true. The 50-70yrs age group is just as able to work-out as any other generation. Just with any generation, start off light and don’t push it to begin with. In today’s fitness age the options are almost endless and that is what excites me about my job right now. With the proper fitness assessment, Baby Boomers can find their starting point and progress their fitness as well as any other. I have found that the assessment is critical in training any individual to include the Baby Boomer. WebMD also says to start off slow and do not progress to quick; they also give some good ideas about starting your fitness program and just how important a well-planned fitness program is for the Baby Boomer[1].

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[1] http://www.webmd.com/fitness-exercise/features/baby-boomer-heart-healing-fitness?page=3

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It’s National Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Statistics state that 1 in 8 women in the United States will get breast cancer at some point in her life. After skin cancer, it is the most common cancer among women. But that’s not to say this disease only affects the ladies – although rare, “in 2013, more than 2,200 American men will learn they have breast cancer.”1 

This month is all about bringing awareness to the disease, which also means knowing how to reduce your risk and detecting the early stages. It’s also important to talk to your doctor about your risk factors, especially if a close family member has had breast or ovarian cancer.

So what can you do to reduce your risk right now? Here are five healthy habits to get you started: 2

  1. Maintain a healthy weight
  2. Stay physically active
  3. Eat fruits and vegetables
  4. Do not smoke or quit smoking
  5. Limit alcohol consumption

Detecting the early signs of breast cancer is also one of the best ways to fight the disease. According to the National Cancer Institute, “when breast cancer is detected early, in the localized stage, the five-year survival rate is 98%.” Every person should know the symptoms and signs. It’s also important to perform monthly self-breast exams. The more familiar you are with your breasts, the more likely you are to detect any abnormalities.

Here are the three signs to be aware of and talk to your doctor about:

  1. A change in how the breast or nipple feels
  2. A change in the breast or nipple appearance
  3. Any nipple discharge – particularly clear discharge or bloody discharge 

For more information about these symptoms and signs or to learn how to perform a self-breast exam, please visit nationalbreastcancer.org/breast-cancer-symptoms-and-signs. Remember, the best way to fight breast cancer or any cancer for that matter, is to have a plan that helps you reduce your risk factors and detect the early stages of the disease. If you need help creating your plan, sign up here. You’ll receive reminders to do breast self-exams, and schedule appointments and mammograms based on your age and health history. 

Resources:

1http://www.cancer.gov/cancertopics/wyntk/breast

2http://www.nationalbreastcancer.org/healthy-habits