Wellness blog: 7/22/13 by Diane Walker
This past week, I attended the National Health and Wellness conference in Stevens Point, WI. I have been out of the health and wellness world for quite some time; it felt very good to be back. There are tons of exciting and wonderful things happening in the world of health and wellness, including the creation and support of new jobs. There were physicians, nurses, therapists (mental, physical and massage), wellness coaches, retired people, college students, teachers, etc.. in attendance. The first keynote speaker was Larry Cohen, the guru of the smoke free movement. He is currently working on a project to bring refrigeration to poverty stricken areas. He believes, and research shows that if fresh fruit and vegetables are prominently displayed and accessible, more people will choose to eat them on a regular basis. I attended seminars in plant based eating, blogging for wellness, motivational interviewing, nutrition, Pilates, and yoga. I also completed a 5k run (without stopping) for the first time in a few decades!!
I have dabbled in the health and wellness world most of my life. I have coached numerous teams for both boys and girls, I was an aerobics instructor back when “step” aerobics was the thing to do, and have been a certified personal trainer. Since becoming a full-time outpatient therapist, I noticed that I have let some of the things I “used to know, go away”. After this conference, I am once again motivated to become involved in the wellness world. How many times has someone (or yourself) talked about needing to lose weight, or getting fit, or been told to make changes in your habits by a doctor or loved one? We all cope with health and wellness in our own ways and most of resent being “told what to do”. Our brains reject “being told”, or at least mine does. Weight and fitness are very personal issues; becoming healthy is an individual quest and can often be successful only after personal reflection. Reasons to make changes may include; I want to look/feel better, my clothes don’t fit anymore, my doctor says I am unhealthy, my spouse tells me I have gained, etc.. If we are able to decide on a health plan, course of eating and exercise, that we WANT and REALLY LIKE, we are significantly more invested in succeeding. Again, this is an individual choice. The fitness “gurus” and “weight professionals” have tons and tons of answers for us, just look at the best selling books in the book store. There are entire sections devoted to weight loss and how to become fitter. How do we sort through all this information? Where do we start?
First, find some time to sit and reflect about why you want to make changes in your lifestyle. This can be done in a few minutes, or over several quiet sessions. Sometimes, writing down ideas and thoughts can be helpful, this allows us to rule out things that might not work or we don’t really like. Support during this process is important, but choose carefully. Make sure your support system is truly that, supportive. Once you have determined your reasons for making changes, recognize that change is very difficult and takes time. All the sessions I attended this past week emphasized that our brains go backwards in times of stress; we revert back into old patterns often without realizing it. Be true to yourself and begin slowly. Set goals that are reachable and can be relatively quick; this provides encouragement to keep on track.
Watch our website for tips as a health and wellness section will be added and updated regularly. Also, feel free to call and set up an appointment with Diane as you begin to make changes. Our bodies don’t really like change; it may become difficult to maintain and continue on our chosen path. Research shows that positive physical health has a direct and influential link towards positive mental health, to become “happy”.
Click here to schedule an appointment with Diane and begin living well again!