A few weeks ago at a conference I met a colleague who said something to me that has stuck in my head and continues to make me think. We were talking about being motivated to exercise. She told me that her motivation for exercising was to stay healthy to continue to have the privilege to exercise. I asked her what she meant by that, and she went on to tell me that she injured her back some time ago, was in a great deal of pain and could not do much of anything until she went through surgery and an extended course of physical therapy. As she began to increase her activity, she began to understand what she “almost lost.” Since that time she has been dedicated to getting up each morning and following her routine faithfully. She said that she has never felt better and is grateful to be able to do the simple things that she always took for granted. She says that she now knows the fear that many go through when their lives change due to an accident, an injury or a chronic disease. And that she now knows what wellness feels like.
Her story reminded me of an article that appeared in the 2007 October/November issue of Case in Point. The article, titled Wellness and Weight: Making it a Personal Mantra for Life, by Lisa Heidrich, shared some tips that each of us can use to improve our own weight and wellness. At the end of the article, there was a red box that mentioned how organizations around the country are developing programs for their employees based on the TV show The Biggest Loser. There was a message put out to readers to share their story if their own organization offers motivational challenges to improve health. I received one response that was similar to the TV show and had produced a good outcome. Peggy Leonard from Hudson Health Plan in N.Y. shared the program her company used to address employees’ weight challenges. The medical director and 11 other staff members came up with a challenge that everyone agreed upon. The plan was for each willing person to put $100 into a pot and to work together to improve their diet, increase their exercise and reduce their weight. The medical director said that he would meet with each person weekly, weigh them and discuss their challenges. Over the course of their collegial program they shared recipes and strategies on how they were maintaining their willpower to keep on track. At the end of the 15 weeks the “biggest loser” was chosen and received the prize money. Margaret said that it was a great team-building exercise. “We each learned from one another and were able to work together to achieve a goal,” she said.
Wellness is a personal issue that we each have to take responsibility for. Don’t wait until an illness or injury hits to remind you of what you could have done or what you should have done. We all have the privilege to care for ourselves to the best of our ability, so don’t wait another day to step up to your own personal challenge!
Till next week,
Anne Llewellyn, RN-BC, MS, BHSA, CCM, CRRN
Editor-in-Chief of Across My Desk, Case in Point magazine, and the Case Management Resource Guide
allewellyn@dorlandhealth.com
