The Power of Prevention
The Power Of Prevention
Staying healthy is well within your grasp. Changes made today bring a healthier tomorrow. Do you know what it takes?
What is Wellness?
Wellness is...
Put simply, wellness is the idea of being aware of and actively working towards better health. If you look closely at the definition, you’ll notice that it has two specific components.
The first part deals with awareness. And when you think about it, this makes perfect sense. Before you can work on improving your own personal wellness, you’ll need to understand where you’re starting from right now. That’s why personal wellness starts with health screening for things like blood pressure, cholesterol, etc.
Now let’s take a look at the second part of the definition, which is all about working toward better health. Once you have a clear understanding of your current health status, it’s time to start working to improve or protect it. In other words, it’s time to take action.
When you think about wellness, think of the phrase, “Make the rest of your life the best of your life.” No matter where you’re starting from or what you’ve done in the past, don’t worry about it. Rather, assess where you are today in terms of your health status, then take the necessary steps to “make the rest of your life the best of your life.”
Wellness Works
Why Wellness Now?
That’s a great question! Would you believe that wellness is a relatively new term—and a really interesting idea? Believe it or not, there really wasn’t much concern about wellness a century ago. In fact, the leading causes of death at that time were things like pneumonia, diphtheria, tuberculosis, and dysentery. Communicable agents or environmental hazards (e.g., lack of suitable drinking water, etc.) caused all of these health problems. Of course, these health problems had a devastating impact on life expectancy. Average life expectancy in the early 1900’s was a mere 47 years of age!
Today, all that has changed. Inoculations for communicable diseases are now the rule rather than the exception. And clean drinking water is everywhere. Because of these breakthroughs, life expectancy has almost doubled—it’s now 78 years of age.
But (here comes the bad news) these breakthroughs have brought about an entirely new set of problems. Today’s top four leading causes of death are caused by—check this out—smoking, poor nutrition, lack of exercise, and high-risk use of alcohol. What’s really remarkable about these four leading causes of death is they are all preventable!
That’s why wellness has become so important. If you want to stay healthy and well, you’ll need to get screened to see how you’re doing in these four important areas. Once you know, then it’s time to start making the rest of your life the best of your life.
Wellness...Leading A Well-Balanced Life
Knowing that the definition of wellness is “being aware of and actively working towards better health,” we’re sure you’ll agree that making the rest of your life the best of your life is something we all want for ourselves and our loved ones. The question that needs to be addressed is, “How do I go about making the rest of my life the best of my life?”
While not quite as simple as defining wellness, the answer to this question revolves around five main areas. By striking a true balance between these five dimensions in your everyday life, you will be sure to see a difference in both the quality and quantity of your remaining years.
Physical — This first area is an obvious one. By taking care of yourself physically—whether it be through eating a well-balanced diet, exercising at least 30 minutes on most days of the week, watching your intake of alcohol, and/or treating your medical conditions appropriately—you greatly reduce your risk for premature illness.
Emotional — This second area deals more with your emotional well-being. What are your main causes of stress? What are you doing to actively combat these causes? The idea here is that the more you care for yourself emotionally, the more prepared you will be to handle those major or minor crises that occur on a daily basis.
Social — Do you have a strong bond with your family? Friends? Community? Keeping a close, meaningful relationship with those in your life can greatly impact the quality of your years. While most people do not think in these terms, your social life truly does make for a healthier you.
Intellectual — Exercising your body is an important part of your overall wellness, and exercising your mind is just as important. If you press toward feeding your brain with increased knowledge and take advantage of new learning experiences—whether it be at work or at home—you’ll find your life to be more fulfilling and rewarding. Continuous learning is one of life’s greatest gifts.
Spiritual — While it may sound hokey to some, maintaining a strong spiritual connection is important to leading a “whole” and well life. Included in spirituality are such things as kindness, caring, connectedness, love, and the general belief that everything is going to work out no matter what the circumstances. Yes, it’s hard to explain, but there is no denying the fact that spirituality can play an enormously helpful role in your life.
Putting Wellness Into Practice
Making the Rest of Your Life the Best of Your Life
Exercise — The typical American spends almost 17 hours sitting in front of the TV, puts in approximately 50 hours at the office, and averages 51 hours of sleep per week—that’s approximately five days of not moving, and Americans are paying the price. An astonishing 50% of Americans are overweight.
But it wouldn’t take much to get back in shape. By exercising only 30 minutes per day, Americans can build stronger muscles and bones, maintain a healthier weight, prevent numerous chronic diseases, and increase their energy level, just to name a few benefits.
Self-Care — Doctors and other health care professionals play an important role in your health—especially when you’re sick or hurt. Visiting your physician for routine, preventive exams will help maintain your health and will ultimately save you time and money.
Another important factor in maintaining your health is self-care. Investing in a self-care manual will help you take charge of your health. But remember, self-care isn’t intended to replace the advice of your primary care physician. Rather, it should be used to outline when medical appointments are or are not necessary. In the case of an emergency, always seek attention from the Emergency Room.
Relationships — People who have healthy relationships not only live longer, but they’re happier as well. Developing “good” relationships is essential to high-level wellness. Relationships allow us to receive support from others, and we can feel great about giving it in return.
Because of this, it’s important to protect the strong relationships that you have right now. And if you’re like most people, there may be some relationships which need to be mended and enhanced.
Alcohol — Let’s face it, alcohol, when not used responsibly, can lead to a host of problems. In addition to being a leading contributor of death and disability in the United States, alcohol causes a motor vehicle-related injury every two minutes!
If you choose to drink, follow these guidelines to help keep you safer. Of course, remember that abstaining is the safest choice.
0,1,2,4 Method:
Zero: Under some circumstances (driving, hunting, etc.), and for certain people (recovering, underage, pregnant, etc.) abstinence is the best choice.
One: No more than one standard drink per hour.
Two: No more than two drinks per day for men or one for women.
Four: No more than four drinks per week.
Seatbelts — In 2000, 41,821 people in the US were killed because they didn’t wear their seatbelts—that’s one every 15 minutes! Add to this the fact that motor vehicle crashes are the leading cause of death for all people between the ages of 4 and 33, and proper seatbelt usage becomes very important.
What’s the most important thing to remember about your seatbelt?
Wear it EVERY TIME you get in the car—even if it’s just for a short trip. Believe it or not, three-fourths of all fatal car crashes happen within 25 miles of home. Don’t become a statistic—“just click it.”
Nutrition — In recent years, a strong link has been established between poor diet and the leading causes of death. In fact, poor nutrition has been linked to cardiovascular disease, cancer, and obesity.
Eating a balanced diet and paying attention to the food guide pyramid can go a long way toward preventing these serious illnesses. The American Dietetic Association recommends eating a variety of foods, using moderation when selecting portion sizes, and balancing your food choices over time. Remember, nutritional changes don’t have to happen all at once.
Stress — Stress in the US is reaching epidemic proportions, and it seems the end is nowhere in sight. Stress is more than just having a tough day. In fact, stress has been linked to higher occurrences of disease and a shorter life span. But what can you do if stress is getting you down?
Enjoying a favorite activity each day can help to calm feelings of stress. Take a walk after work, have a laugh with a co-worker, or listen to your favorite music. Deep breathing, meditation and progressive muscle relaxation have proven to do wonders for relieving stress. You deserve the best of what life has to offer—don’t let stress get the best of you!
For More Information
The American College of Sports Medicine
www.acsm.org
American Dietetic Association
(800) 877-1600
www.eatright.org
National Highway Traffic Safety Administration
1-888-327-4236
www.nhtsa.org
A PUBLICATION OF THE
Wellness Councils of America
9802 Nicholas Street, Suite 315
Omaha, NE 68114-2106
Phone: (402) 827-3590
Fax: (402) 827-3594
www.welcoa.org
©2006 Wellness Councils of America
The information contained in this brochure has been carefully reviewed for accuracy. It is not intended to replace the advice of your physician or health care provider.