Sunday, January 29, 2012

Don't brag on yourself....

...but do brag to yourself.  Cheri says self talk is very powerful and remember when you do talk to yourself to reinforce the positive. 

You can find that recipe for the dehydrated cookies Cheri brought in at rawfoodist.net or there are several good books at the library if you want to learn more.  

I have been reading about the Six Word Memoir or your life story in six words.  Your challenge this week is to bring your Six Word Memoir to class to share.  My first attempt is "WISEWOMAN nurse on journey to health."  Give it a try. 

Sunday, January 15, 2012

Off to a Great Start

From your reports we are off to a great start.  Sharing your successes and some of your barriers to reaching your weekly intentions with your team and the entire group was very inspirational. 

A big THANK YOU to Greg Schlacter for helping with the fitness testing and teaching us about physical activity.  The fitness testing was actually fun and informative and many people were surprised and happy with their results.  It will be even more fun at the end of the challenge to see how much we have improved. 

The current physical activity norms for our country are for 30 minutes of moderate intensity activity at least 5 days a week.  We have asked you to commit to at least 20 minutes every day during the challenge, at a minimum.  One of the biggest questions we hear is what in "moderate intensity"? Greg talked about  "The Borg Category Rating Scale" of perceived exertion.  "Your exertion rating provides a fairly good estimate of the actual heart rate during physical activity" (Borg, 1998)   Greg explained that a rating between 12 to 14 is suggestive of moderate intensity.  6 is "no exertion at all" and "20 is maximal exertion".  This is how hard you feel you are working thus it is a "relative" scale ~ meaning it is your own feeling of effort and exertion, not how it compares to other people's.  So at "moderate intensity" we can somewhat carry on a conversation being able to say our name, but not our name and address, and if we can sing we need to step it up.  Challenge yourself this week to check where you are on the scale and make the adjustments you need to improve your fitness. 

The Well & Fit Community Council January Activity Event is a Snowshoe Hike up to Lilly Lake on Saturday, January 21st at 10:00am. The cost is $5, but if you bring a friend they go free!  Snacks and drinks will be provided and Alaska Mountain Guides has donated some snowshoes if you don't have any.  Put it on your calendar now as it will be an extra challenge next week and earn you extra points. 

Friday, January 6, 2012

Health Indicators Part 1


We had our kick off meeting last night Jan 5, 2012. I am excited to see a great mix of return participants and new comers. We spent our time outlining expectations, goal writing and establishing some initial health indicators.
                                And the results are…..
24 registered participants
2 males
22 females
Initial health indicators part 1:
Total weight 4275.2 lbs.
Average weight 178.1 lbs
Average American female weights 164lbs, male 191lbs
Blood Pressure
Normal: 120/80 – 11 of 24
Pre-hypertensive: >120/80 but less than 140/90 – 8 of 24
Hypertensive: 140/90 or greater – 5 of 24
Average BP for North America 127/77 pre-hypertension
BMI – Body Mass Index
Under weight: 18.5 or less - 2 of 24
Normal Weight 18.5 – 24.9 – 4 of 24
Overweight 25- 29.9 – 9 of 24
Obese greater than 30 – 9 of 24
Average American females at 5’3” and 164lbs = BMI of 29 overweight
Male 5’9.5” and 191lbs = BMI of 27.8 overweight

We already know Haines is above average but take a look at our numbers. As a group we fall right in line with the average American for being overweight. The blood pressure front demonstrates healthier than the average already but can we be even better?
Keep coming and follow the blog for Health Indicators part 2 including Cholesterol, Glucose and Fitness Testing.
Well&Fit Community Challenge: committing 12 weeks  together to become better individuals!!

Monday, January 2, 2012

Next Challenge Begins Thursday 1/5/12 at 6:00 pm

Challenge begins Thursday, January 5, 6:00 pm at the Haines School Library.  Come for the support and make the changes you would like to see in yourself. If you are considering joining the challenge, give some thought to what you would like to change.  Do you want to run a marathon or keep up with the grandkids when they come to visit or garden for hours without you legs and back getting sore?   Do you want to lose 10 lbs or learn to grow your own foods?  Do you want to pick up that guitar again or learn to meditate?  This challenge is about what you want to do. 

By an Unknown Monk, in 1100 A.D.,  When I was a young man, I wanted to change the world. I found it was difficult to change the world, so I tried to change my nation. When I found I couldn't change the nation, I began to focus on my town. I couldn't change the town and as an older man, I tried to change my family. Now, as an old man, I realize the only thing I can change is myself, and suddenly I realize that if long ago I had changed myself, I could have made an impact on my family. My family and I could have made an impact on our town. Their impact could have changed the nation and I could indeed have changed the world."