The hospital where I work provides free wellness check-ups every so often. It includes vital signs, height and weight, blood tests for cholesterol, triglycerides, blood sugar, and a questionnaire that is analyzed and results/commentary mailed to you. My results? Overall wellness score: 79/100, which is in between “doing well” and “excellent.” I am 27, but my “health age” is 22.2.
I want to be the healthiest person I can be. Why? First of all, I believe that God created my body, so I want to treat it with the respect that it deserves. Secondly, I want to live a long time for my family and friends, and to make a difference on the earth. Finally, I am convinced that health and wellness increase quality of life exponentially. My recent wellness profile was encouraging, but it also got me thinking about what I can do better.
But first, what I’m doing well:
- My vital signs and lab work are excellent.
- I don’t smoke and never have.
- I don’t drink any alcohol for personal reasons.
- I have an active lifestyle, and am constantly walking at my job.
- I maintain a healthy weight.
- I put sunscreen on my face every day and on the rest of my body if I know I’ll be outside a lot. I don’t tan or sunbathe.
- I moisturize my skin daily.
- I eat breakfast daily.
- I don’t snack.
- I don’t use excess salt.
- Most of the time, I do aerobic workouts 3 times a week.
- I get adequate sleep (usually 7 hours a night).
- I always wear my seat belt.
- I am generally happy, take time to relax, deal with stress well, and have good self-worth.
- I have an amazing social support system through my family and close friends.
- We have smoke detectors in our house.
- I always wear a helmet when I ride my bike.
- I try to use my legs for lifting and not my back.
- I do a monthly self-breast exam.
- I get a yearly pap smear.
- I see the dentist every 6 months.
- I have not used any sick days in the past year, and can only remember getting one mild cold.
- I am up to date on my vaccinations, including tetanus booster and flu shot.
Now, ways I can improve:
- Increase my fiber intake, and
- Increase my vegetable intake. I eat a couple fruits a day, but I hardly ever eat vegetables. I should also eat more whole grains.
- Take a multivitamin every day. I have some, but I am so bad about forgetting to take them.
- Do some strength training. Two workouts a week are recommended. I make the excuse that I’m not a member of a gym, but the truth is that you can do strength training without any weights. For example, push-ups and sit-ups achieve the desired goal.
- Stretch. I have a bad habit of NEVER stretching, even before and after a run. I have started to do a little yoga, but I need to do some straight stretching.
- Seriously stick to my 3-times-a-week aerobic workouts. For me this is mostly running right now, but could also include workout videos, biking, or swimming.
- Find a primary care physician and get a physical once a year. I also have a few moles that I would like looked at.
- Put my phone away when I drive. I don’t really text while driving anymore, but I still find myself looking things up.
- Transition to using all organic/natural products in my home and on my body.
What about you? What areas do you have mastered, and what areas do you need to improve in? Why is wellness important to you?
From Nora:
It’s kind of funny, my lists are nearly identical to yours. Wellness is important to me as I’ve seen many of my friends and family go through some rough times due to not taking care of their bodies and simply put, I don’t want to be one of them! I also admit I go through spurts where I’m really good about taking care of myself and then other times, not so much. I am working on it though. It’s a constant process in my opinion =)
From Dionne C:
This is such a great post. It reminds me that I need to step up my game, not only for myself, but also the fact that this body ain’t mine – it’s God’s, and I should treat His property with the utmost respect.
Thanks for posting this. You have really inspired me.
From Kelly:
Good for you! I love the reasons you listed for wanting to be healthy.
I struggle with all the same things as you, especially flexibility. I took that for granted when I was younger. Where did it go??
From Chelsea:
Good post! I need to work out regularly and go to the dentist more. Otherwise, we are the same. Oh, and I drink. But not excessively.
From steph anne:
Thanks for posting this — you’ve made me realize I really don’t have any wellness goals other than the fact that I do know I want to lose weight and am slowly losing weight.
From SoMi's Nilsa:
I lead a fairly healthy lifestyle, too. Based on your list, the three areas I could improve would be:
1) Get more sleep!!!
2) Do that darn monthly breast exam (can I pass that responsibility off to my husband???)
3) Be better about vaccinations. I’m good on tetnus and some of the bigger ones. But, I absolutely refuse to get the flu shot. I got it for a couple years and wound up stupid sick in bed. Without it? Sometimes I get sick. Sometimes not. I’d rather take the risk than deal with the side effects of the stupid shot.
From Mindy:
Interesting post! Very cool to take a look at what’s going well and what can be worked upon. You’ve inspired me to make my own list. (As for veggies, I have a small glass of V8 every morning… soooo good, and it’s really helped me with the veggie intake! Or adding extra veggies to things like quesadillas and sandwiches)
From kapachino:
V8 is a great idea! I should try that.
From SarahThe:
I love love love spicy V8, and used to drink my veggies that way, but I stopped after I took the time to read the label. One of those bad boys can be 50% of your daily sodium intake. Instead I’ve taken to buying heads of cauliflower and cutting it up, and putting it into sandwich baggies. On my way out the door I can grab my bag of cauliflower, get the veggies, convenience and crunch I’m looking for, but without the sodium.
From dad:
Wellness should also include the mind and the spirit. Keep your brain active with intellectual challenges. Do math in your head instead of the calculator, crossword puzzles, brain teaser puzzles, oh, and of course gaming, all help keep the mind active, it needs to be exercised just like your muscles do. To much staring at the tv is a good way to get a flabby brain. For your spirit, time spent praying and meditating on things other than yourself are great for the soul. So work on the triad, body, mind and spirit for complete wellness.