If you are one of the lucky ones receiving a tax return this season, have you already allocated the $$ to a purchase, activity, bill payment, or otherwise? What is the ROI of your decision?
Have you considered spending that money on improving your quality of "health"? Seriously..... if one of the barriers to exercising, eating healthy, managing stress, being compliant with medication, or another healthy activity is having the income to afford taking care of yourself, here is your opportunity!
Often times I hear that if a person "had the treadmill" or "could spend the extra two dollars on the healthy lunch option" or "could stomach the cost of the prescription" they would take better care of themselves. If this is truly a challenge of yours, it is worth considering. The ROI can be tenfold to a one-time purchase - it may just be the jump start you need - permission to spend your money on the gym membership that motivates you, the high-end health food store that serves great tasting food, or the message you typically only get every other year. Whatever this investment might be - make it for yourself, and your quality of life.
All things considered, your health is directly related to your success in this world. Without our health, we cannot achieve great things, it is constant drain on our impact in this world. With health, we are a powerhouse of potential. Invest in your health this tax season and embrace the opportunity to "spoil" yourself with some healthy treats!
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Monday, April 11, 2011
Parenting - making it healthy
Tonight I read an article in the Star Tribune, a Minneapolis newspaper, explaining how new parents are a "high risk" population because they are not effectively managing their health (http://t.co/oza6nRF). I thought to myself, well this is not enlightening or surprising to many of us who have embarked on the adventures of parenthood. The sleepless nights, unhealthy eating habits, lack of exercise and turbulent emotional health status are just par for the course.
Regardless of the number of years you have been in the game, it is safe to assume that maintaining a healthy lifestyle "pre-children" looked a whole lot different before your beautiful offspring came along. In fact, for some of us, exercise was a staple in our weekly routine, a healthy diet was attainable, and sleep happened when it was suppose to. No doubt, healthy habits were easier to manage and prioritize. In addition, if we had a few "less than healthy" weeks, our bodies were more forgiving.
This article and topic intrigues me. As a parent of three children, I realized that with each child we welcomed into our family, the better I got at re-establishing my exercise routine and healthy habits. With my first daughter, it took a solid year before rejoining my tennis league. With my second, it took about nine months to begin a regular walking and running routine. Then with my last child, it took only four months for me to be out with a couple running partners at 5:45am each weekday morning. Was this because with each child I further realized the importance of maintaining my own healthy balance?
Despite my success with maintaining my pre-parenting exercise focus, with each child it was a challenge physically, but even tougher mentally. I felt starved for the physical exertion because I have always been an avid exerciser, but trapped with time constraints and demands that I never had to accommodate before. Most importantly, I felt I needed to be "on call" and available 24/7. How could I accomplish this and allow myself to truly re-energize regularly. My husband felt similar pressure, during his free time he felt compelled to help with the kids rather than relieve some stress.
I am glad to see that the article highlighted the "high risk" status of parents in an effort to heighten awareness of the additional support and resources that are needed by active parents. I often wonder if it is a matter of providing good programs that can reflect the needs of parents and their families, or if a cultural shift is needed to emphasize the importance of a parent's health in the upbringing of their children.
What if a parent's health status ultimately determined the fate of their child's success in this world? The child's ability to live a quality life to the fullest, manage their own health and be productive in our world. Would a study that proved the value of a parent's health status as the determining factor in a child's success convince parents to take better care of themselves. My guess would be that such a study would help, because when we become parents our biggest motivator is to protect and enhance the lives of our children. Hummmm, interesting research idea....
Regardless of the number of years you have been in the game, it is safe to assume that maintaining a healthy lifestyle "pre-children" looked a whole lot different before your beautiful offspring came along. In fact, for some of us, exercise was a staple in our weekly routine, a healthy diet was attainable, and sleep happened when it was suppose to. No doubt, healthy habits were easier to manage and prioritize. In addition, if we had a few "less than healthy" weeks, our bodies were more forgiving.
This article and topic intrigues me. As a parent of three children, I realized that with each child we welcomed into our family, the better I got at re-establishing my exercise routine and healthy habits. With my first daughter, it took a solid year before rejoining my tennis league. With my second, it took about nine months to begin a regular walking and running routine. Then with my last child, it took only four months for me to be out with a couple running partners at 5:45am each weekday morning. Was this because with each child I further realized the importance of maintaining my own healthy balance?
Despite my success with maintaining my pre-parenting exercise focus, with each child it was a challenge physically, but even tougher mentally. I felt starved for the physical exertion because I have always been an avid exerciser, but trapped with time constraints and demands that I never had to accommodate before. Most importantly, I felt I needed to be "on call" and available 24/7. How could I accomplish this and allow myself to truly re-energize regularly. My husband felt similar pressure, during his free time he felt compelled to help with the kids rather than relieve some stress.
I am glad to see that the article highlighted the "high risk" status of parents in an effort to heighten awareness of the additional support and resources that are needed by active parents. I often wonder if it is a matter of providing good programs that can reflect the needs of parents and their families, or if a cultural shift is needed to emphasize the importance of a parent's health in the upbringing of their children.
What if a parent's health status ultimately determined the fate of their child's success in this world? The child's ability to live a quality life to the fullest, manage their own health and be productive in our world. Would a study that proved the value of a parent's health status as the determining factor in a child's success convince parents to take better care of themselves. My guess would be that such a study would help, because when we become parents our biggest motivator is to protect and enhance the lives of our children. Hummmm, interesting research idea....
Friday, April 1, 2011
How Healthy is Your Community?
When we set out to determine which communities we were interested in, we focused primarily on the school system, cost of the home, property, neighborhood, community, and distance from our relatives. I can honestly say that we never considered looking into the "health of the community" as a criteria, despite the fact that I am a healthcare professional. One of the primary reasons is likely because there was no source to attain this data four years ago. The closest I came is to ensure there was a safe neighborhood running route for my daily run.
Today, I am happy to share that this data now exists. On March 30, 2011, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation in coordination with the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute released the 2011 County Health Rankings for almost all counties within the 50 states (http://m.countyhealthrankings.org/). The data allow you to see how your County ranks against a National benchmark, the State and other Counties within your State. It assesses counties on health outcomes (mortality and morbidity) and health factors (health behavior, clinical care, social & economic factors, and physical environment). In essence, you are able to see how healthy a community is and how long people live within the community. It illustrates the factors that influence these two characteristics - education, jobs, income, environment, access to care and others.
So how can we make use of this information? It provides us (community members, educators, healthcare professionals, public administrators) with a starting point to join together and strategically plan to improve the health of their communities, then evaluate the impact of our efforts annually. If done effectively, all residents of the community will benefit by leading healthier lives and living longer - who can argue with these rewards?
After learning where my County ranked this week, I challenged myself to do my part for my community. As a healthcare professional, my "day job" allows me to assist corporations in implementing successful health management programs. I plan on taking this experience and knowledge and help our elementary school plan healthy school programs to enhance our school's culture of health. I am excited about the potential and hope others will join me in lending our skills and expertise to make our communities healthier. Any chance you want to join me?
Monday, March 28, 2011
Health & Family
As a working mother of three children, I am challenged each day to find the right balance for myself and my family. By balance I mean maintaining a healthy approach to our busy lives - physically, mentally, and spiritually. I will be the first to admit, on many days I feel defeated. And some days, I feel like a champion because I successfully guided my "troop" through the chaotic day and their lives were enhanced from the experience.
In today's world it is hard to achieve and maintain balance. Each day you wake up to another email, phone call or conversation that invites you to become involved in a new activity, attend a very important meeting, support a new great cause, or lend a hand to someone in need. With the world tugging at your leg each day, it is hard not to find yourself over-committed and overwhelmed. So, when asked a question such as "Do you prioritize health in your day?" it is tough to answer "Yes". In addition, I think you would be hard-pressed to find many mothers and fathers out there who would confidently say that their family's physical, mental, and spiritual health is at it's optimal level.
So, what if there was a way to help mothers and fathers prioritize their health in their day? For years, companies have been focused on helping their employees prioritize their health by providing great programs and resources to help them understand their health risks, manage these risks, and improve their quality of life. These programs are typically provided to employees and their familiy members, and sometimes retirees of the organization. Although some of these programs are best-in-class, state-of-the-art programs, families do not engage at the level to which we would hope. In essence, engagement is a challenge.
So, back to the family structure ... And the working mother-of-three, when asked "Why is it so hard to maintain balance in your day?" for me, it is well beyond understanding my health risks, knowing the programs available, and understanding how engaging in an activity will improve my quality of life. It is more about looking at each of the activities my family and I do, and identifying which ones contribute to a healthy life, and which ones simply negate these efforts. Could there be a health management program that can help families and parents do this in today's world? Be customized to reflect each families goals, interests and priorities? If so, would it be more effective than an exercise or weight program they cannot even consider fitting into their day because they are just getting through the day and all it's demands. Would it provide parents the ability to truly become more balanced, enabling them to make healthier choices.
I believe these are interesting questions.
In today's world it is hard to achieve and maintain balance. Each day you wake up to another email, phone call or conversation that invites you to become involved in a new activity, attend a very important meeting, support a new great cause, or lend a hand to someone in need. With the world tugging at your leg each day, it is hard not to find yourself over-committed and overwhelmed. So, when asked a question such as "Do you prioritize health in your day?" it is tough to answer "Yes". In addition, I think you would be hard-pressed to find many mothers and fathers out there who would confidently say that their family's physical, mental, and spiritual health is at it's optimal level.
So, what if there was a way to help mothers and fathers prioritize their health in their day? For years, companies have been focused on helping their employees prioritize their health by providing great programs and resources to help them understand their health risks, manage these risks, and improve their quality of life. These programs are typically provided to employees and their familiy members, and sometimes retirees of the organization. Although some of these programs are best-in-class, state-of-the-art programs, families do not engage at the level to which we would hope. In essence, engagement is a challenge.
So, back to the family structure ... And the working mother-of-three, when asked "Why is it so hard to maintain balance in your day?" for me, it is well beyond understanding my health risks, knowing the programs available, and understanding how engaging in an activity will improve my quality of life. It is more about looking at each of the activities my family and I do, and identifying which ones contribute to a healthy life, and which ones simply negate these efforts. Could there be a health management program that can help families and parents do this in today's world? Be customized to reflect each families goals, interests and priorities? If so, would it be more effective than an exercise or weight program they cannot even consider fitting into their day because they are just getting through the day and all it's demands. Would it provide parents the ability to truly become more balanced, enabling them to make healthier choices.
I believe these are interesting questions.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Connectivity for Health
A few weeks ago I attended a healthcare conference and one of the keynote speakers mentioned the importance of technology in facilitating healthcare interactions with patients. In another session, the speaker described the relevance of understanding the key components of successful games to better understand what is necessary to build a successful online health experience for participants. While I was on Twitter yesterday, a world-renowned hospital posted a tweet about the value of social media for physicians.
Connectivity for health is a field that is only in its infancy. We are just beginning to understand how individuals make health decisions through consumer segmentation data, how one's culture can impact a person's likelihood to make behavior changes, how a social network can be used to facilitate and predict behavior change, and how individuals may adapt to new technologies as the access and use of these innovative tools become more prevalent.
The question is how the various stakeholders in the health arena will utilize this evolving medium of communication. Will healthcare choices and interventions feel more like Apps we download today? Will the physician-patient relationship ultimately change based on the use of technology and the access to healthcare information? Will healthcare consumers be guided through the maze of benefits and health management based on their personal needs, preferences and available resources captured through back-end technology? What role will the government, health plans, employers and vendors play in this evolving field?
I am not sure of the specific answers to these questions, but do know that the landscape of healthcare in the US is and will continue to change based on the technology available. Employers are looking for innovative solutions that "engage" their population in every aspect of their health. It is exciting to ponder the possibilities that new technologies will provide us, and overwhelming to contemplate how this changes the breath and depth of our efforts as healthcare professionals. Let's look at this as an opportunity to change how we have approached health management in the past, change how we implement health benefits, and better understand how technology can help individuals engage in their health on a daily basis.
What have you done to manage your health today? Did it involve the use of an App, website, online program, social network, text message? If not, could it have and would it have been more enjoyable, effective, and fun if it had? If it did, what were the reasons you engaged with the technology? Think about the possibilities we have upon us.
Connectivity for health is a field that is only in its infancy. We are just beginning to understand how individuals make health decisions through consumer segmentation data, how one's culture can impact a person's likelihood to make behavior changes, how a social network can be used to facilitate and predict behavior change, and how individuals may adapt to new technologies as the access and use of these innovative tools become more prevalent.
The question is how the various stakeholders in the health arena will utilize this evolving medium of communication. Will healthcare choices and interventions feel more like Apps we download today? Will the physician-patient relationship ultimately change based on the use of technology and the access to healthcare information? Will healthcare consumers be guided through the maze of benefits and health management based on their personal needs, preferences and available resources captured through back-end technology? What role will the government, health plans, employers and vendors play in this evolving field?
I am not sure of the specific answers to these questions, but do know that the landscape of healthcare in the US is and will continue to change based on the technology available. Employers are looking for innovative solutions that "engage" their population in every aspect of their health. It is exciting to ponder the possibilities that new technologies will provide us, and overwhelming to contemplate how this changes the breath and depth of our efforts as healthcare professionals. Let's look at this as an opportunity to change how we have approached health management in the past, change how we implement health benefits, and better understand how technology can help individuals engage in their health on a daily basis.
What have you done to manage your health today? Did it involve the use of an App, website, online program, social network, text message? If not, could it have and would it have been more enjoyable, effective, and fun if it had? If it did, what were the reasons you engaged with the technology? Think about the possibilities we have upon us.
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