Sophie Tucker, the famous songstress, "last of the red hot mamas," may have said it best... "Keep breathing!" That's the heart of a wellness program: keeping what you've got and keeping it strong.
Wellness means keeping everything you were born with working, strong and efficient. A wellness program is designed around healthy eating, good exercise and knowledge about your own body. And it is part of preventive medicine, so curative medicine can be minimized.
Plan Your Workout
Step 1
Chart your starting vitals so you can measure progress. Measure your height and weight to find your body mass index (BMI) and measure your waist. Record your blood pressure, pulse and respiratory rate at rest and after briskly walking a mile and the time your 1-mile walk takes. Assess your flexibility by measuring how close you can come to touching your toes while standing or sitting on the floor. Record a strength measurement like number of push-ups or pull-ups.
Step 2
Design your program. Begin and end your plan with your doctor's OK for exercise and progress rates toward your targets. Mayo Clinic recommends vigorous, aerobic exercise for 150 minutes each week, or 300 minutes at moderate levels. Build up slowly toward your time or distance goals, whether you walk, run, bike, swim or trample on a treadmill. Plan a diet to support your program. Reaching the right weight is a natural result of a good wellness program.
Step 3
Assemble your tools. Keep your workout enjoyable, safe and affordable. Running and walking require the right footwear. Ride a bicycle with high and low gear ranges, good brakes and safe tires. Test indoor equipment like treadmills, weights or stationary cycles before buying. Purchase used to save on costs.
Work Your Plan
Step 1
Start gradually. Listen to your body's responses; don't work to exhaustion. Increase exercise to 1/2 to 1 hour a day, four to six days a week as your stamina improves. Stay hydrated to replace water loss. Always begin with stretching and light warm-up, and cool down gradually afterward. Exercise, along with 7 to 8 hours of sleep, restores your body after exercise and helps your mind cope with daily stresses.
Step 2
Count your steps. Wellness isn't only a diet and exercise program, but everyday healthy activity. Experts at the Walking Site say an adult should clock in 10,000 steps a day. Carry a simple, inexpensive pedometer on your belt or in your pocket so you can record your steps each day in your exercise log.
Step 3
Record your workout routine, walking times and distances every day. Measure and record those vitals at least weekly and celebrate every step forward.
Tips and Warnings
- Many good software programs can help design and record wellness plans, but beware those that promote food or exercise products as panaceas or expensive ongoing purchases. Hydrate. Drink at least eight 8-oz. glasses of water (not coffee, juice, soda) a day.
- Strenuous exercise and diet control require continuous monitoring and a thorough physical examination and medical clearance by a physician before starting.
Things You'll Need
- Exercise equipment
- Log book
- Blood pressure monitor
- Pedometer
- Body mass index (BMI) chart
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