Wellness, fitness, and lifestyle management

Chapter 1Wellness, fitness, and lifestyle managementTest your knowledge1. Which of the following lifestyle factors is theleading preventable cause of death for Americans?a. excess alcohol consumptionb. cigarette smokingc. obesity

b. Smoking causes about 500,000 deaths per year;obesity is responsible for more than 100,000; andalcohol, as many as 85,000.2. The terms health and wellness mean the same thing.True or false?

FALSE. Although the words are used interchangeably,they actually have different meanings. The term healthrefers to the overall condition of the body or mind and tothe presence or absence of illness or injury. The termwellness refers to optimal health and vitality,encompassing six dimensions of well-being3. Which of the following health-related issuesaffects the greatest number of college studentseach year?a. stressb. colds/fl u/sore throatc. sleep problemsd. concern for a friend or family member

a. About 32% of college students suffer so much stress that it affects their academic performance. High stress levels affect overall health and wellness, making it important to learn effective stress-management techniques

HEALTH vs WELLNESSHealth: Absence of illness or injuryInfluenced by factors beyond your control: genes, age, family history

WellnessDetermined by your own decisions about your lifeInvolves making conscious decisions to control risk factors: eating sensibly, exercising, having regular screening tests.

The 6 dimensions of wellness

Physical: your bodys overall condition, fitness level, and your ability to take care of yourself.Emotional wellness: Your ability to understand and deal with your feelings.Social Interpersonal: Your ability to develop and maintain satisfying and supportive relationships.Spiritual: Set of guiding beliefs, principles and values that give meaning and purpose to your life. Environmental vocational occupational: livability of your surroundings. Your personal health depends on the health of your surroundings and your planet. Intellectual: your ability to challenge your mind, seek out new experiences and challenges.The wellness continuumHigh levels of wellnessLow levels of wellnessChange and growthPhysical, mental, emotional symptoms

Lab 1. Your Wellness Profile pg 23Consider how your lifestyle, attitudes, and characteristics relate to each of the six dimensions of wellness. Fill in your strengths for each dimension.Use the examples provided to guide you.Once youve completed your lists, choose what you believe are your five most important strengths, and circle them.Next, think about where you fall on the wellness continuum for each of the dimensions of wellness. Indicate your placement for each physical, emotional, intellectual, spiritual, interpersonal/social, and environmental by placing Xs on the continuum below. Complete the rest of the lab and find out about your level of wellness.New opportunities, new responsibilitiesBefore 1900Infectious diseasesPoor environmental conditionsAfter 1900Chronic diseasesLifestyle choices and behaviorsSmokingDietInactive lifestyleAlcohol useLeading causes of death US.Heart disease CancerStrokeChronic lower respiratory diseaseUnintentional injuries

What is being done?National Healthy People InitiativeNational goalsPrevent diseaseIncrease quality and years of healthy lifeEliminate health disparities among Americans. Objectives Estimate of Current Status (%) Goal (%)Increase the proportion of people age 18 and older who engage regularly in moderate physical activity. 30 50 Increase the proportion of people age 2 and older who consume at least 3 daily servings of vegetables, with at least one-third being dark-green or orange vegetables. 3 50Increase the prevalence of healthy weight among people age 20 and older. 32 60Reduce the proportion of adults 18 and older who use cigarettes. 21 12Reduce the proportion of college students reporting binge drinking during the past 2 weeks. 39 20Increase the proportion of adults who take protective measures to reduce the risk of skin cancer (sunscreens, sun-protective clothing, and so on). 71 85Increase the use of safety belts by motor vehicle occupants. 82 92Increase the number of residences with a functioning smoke alarm on every floor. 90 100Increase the proportion of persons with health insurance. 84 100Behaviors that contribute to wellnessBe physically activeChoose a healthy dietMaintain a healthy body weightManage stress effectivelyAvoid tobacco and drug use and limit alcohol consumptionProtect yourself from disease and injuryTake other step toward wellness

Lab 2. Lifestyle evaluationHow does your current lifestyle compare with the lifestyle recommended for wellness? For each question, choose the answer that best describes your behavior; then add up your score for each section.

Reaching wellness through lifestyle management.Getting serious about your healthExamine your current health statusChoose a target behaviorFind helpBuild motivation towards changeExamine the pros and cons of changeBoost self efficacy, believe in your ability to succeed Find a locus of control, take control of your life. Use visualization and self talk: visualize yourself enjoying the benefits of your lifestyle change. Identify and overcome barriers to changePre-contemplation: you dont think you have a problem and dont intent to change your lifestyle.Raise your awarenessBe self awareSeek social supportIdentify helpful resourcesContemplation: you know you have a problem and intend to take action within 6 monthsKeep a journalDo a cost benefit analysisIdentify barriers to changeEngage your emotionsCreate a new self-imageThink before you actMoving forward in the cycle of behavior changeMoving forward in the cycle of behavior changePreparation: you plant to take action within a month or may already begun to make small changes in your lifestyle. Create a planMake change a priorityPractice visualization and self-talkTake short stepsAction: you modify your behavior and environment. You are at risk of reverting that behavior. Monitor your progressChange your environmentFind alternatives to your target behaviorReward yourselfInvolve your friendsDont get discouragedDeal with relapse

Moving forward in the cycle of behavior changeTermination: you have succeeded in changing your lifestyle. Keep goingBe prepared for lapsesBe a role modelCreating a planMonitor your behavior and gather dataKeep a journalRecord every occurrence of your behaviorWhat was the activityWhen and where it happenedWhat were you doingHow you felt at that timeAnalyze the Data and Identify PatternsNote relations between your feelings and external factors: day, location, situation, influences.

Creating a planBe smart about setting goalsYour behavior changes should beSpecificMeasurableAttainableRealisticTime frame specificAs you work toward meeting your long term goal, you may find it necessary to adjust your short term goals.

Creating a planDevice a plan of actionGet what you needModify your environmentControl related habitsReward yourselfInvolve the people around youPlan for challengesMake a personal contractInclude a statement of your goal and commitment in reaching itDate when you will startSteps you will take to measure your progressStrategies you plan to use to promote changeThe date you expect to reach your final goal

Putting your plan into actionRemember all the reasons you have to make the changeUse all your strategies to make your plan workMake sure your environment is change friendly.Get support and encouragement from othersKeep track of your progressGive yourself regular rewards

Stay with your planExpect problems and have a back up planMake changes when neededConnect with others that can support you but focus in yourselfBe sure you have a high level of commitmentLook at all the sources of stress and find healthy ways to manage themAvoid procrastinating, rationalizing and blaming

Be fit and well for lifeBeing well takes extra effort, but the paybacks in energy and vitality are priceless.Once youve started, dont stopHealth improvement is foreverDeal with easier problems first, use what you know to tackle more difficult problems later.