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Fitness center offers free week in May
Stop by Health 1st’s Wellness Wednesday
table in the Children’s Hospital lobby between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m. May
21 for the latest tips on exercise, losing weight, and eating healthy
from Wellness Center’s exercise specialist, Janis Newton, and dietitian
Judith Herrin. Information on the next Healthy Charleston Challenge
also will be available. The last participants of the challenge lost
1,500 pounds in 10 weeks. Bring fellow employees to find out how to be
one of the fall challenge teams. Also, learn how to get a free week in
May at the Wellness Center.
by Beka
Hardin
Program
Coordinator, Health 1st
You can’t continue to just think about it… you can’t continue to put it
off until next week… you can’t continue to make excuses… and you can’t
continue to ignore the fact that you aren’t making the necessary
changes in nutrition and exercise to have an acceptable level of body
fat and prevent chronic disease. If you are one of the 64
percent of Americans who are losing the battle of the bulge, please
keep reading.
The great news is that you have all of the education, resources, and
facilities available at MUSC. You have access to dedicated health
professionals who really care what your health is going to be like five
years from now. You have the best educators in nutrition and
exercise who can help make sure you are fit enough to play with your
grandchildren, and strong enough to take care of yourself as you
age.
Of course MUSC also has the best physicians, nurses, specialists, and
other health professionals to treat any condition or health
concern. But do you know where to go, and if so, have you really
talked to the nutrition, weight management, and exercise professionals
at MUSC about a specific plan for your weight control and chronic
disease prevention? As employees and students of MUSC you have
all the right people and facilities just a few steps away.
Here are a few examples: Weight Management, headed up by director
Patrick O’Neil, Ph.D., and a team of psychologists, physicians, and
other specialists understand the complexity of weight loss. They work
together using their diverse knowledge to help you reduce excess weight
using the most current and safe weight management programs.
Annie Lovering, R.N., is the director of Health 1st, the MUSC Employee
Wellness Program which focuses on the health and well-being of the MUSC
community. Health 1st offers employee opportunities to improve health
and wellness each week.
Registered dietitian Kelley Martin and the dietetic interns conduct the
HELP (Healthy Eating and Lifestyle) program each spring for employees.
Also, the Harper Student Wellness Center is a facility dedicated to the
promotion of good health. The facility has a variety of exercise and
free-weight equipment, a complete Nautilus strength training circuit,
weight machines, treadmills, elliptical trainers, a Human Performance
Laboratory used for fitness testing and underwater weighing, and two
group exercise studios with more than 50 classes per week. There is
also a junior Olympic size pool with an aquatics program including kids
swim lessons and kids camps. Racquet sports, an indoor and outdoor
track, and full sized gymnasium are also available to add to the many
choices of activities to stay fit.
The Wellness Center also has many programs offered to members and
nonmembers that make weight control and getting fit easy and fun.
Employee’s annual membership fee is discounted by $100. Employees can
have a free week of fitness at the Harper Student Wellness Center
during the month of May.
Proper nutrition and exercise are critical in the reduction of blood
pressure and improvement of triglyceride and cholesterol levels. It can
reduce sleep apnea symptoms, and reduce the risk for joint problems,
osteoporosis, heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and certain kinds of
cancer. Good nutrition and adequate exercise also improve
self-esteem.
So what are you waiting for? Make a commitment, get your
priorities straight and learn to enjoy healthy foods and an active
lifestyle!
Editor's note: The preceding
column was brought to you on behalf of Health 1st. Striving to bring
various topics and representing numerous employee wellness
organizations and committees on campus, this weekly column seeks to
provide MUSC, MUHA and UMA employees with current and helpful
information concerning all aspects of health.
Friday, May 16, 2008
Catalyst Online is published weekly,
updated
as needed and improved from time to time by the MUSC Office of Public
Relations
for the faculty, employees and students of the Medical University of
South
Carolina. Catalyst Online editor, Kim Draughn, can be reached at
792-4107
or by email, catalyst@musc.edu. Editorial copy can be submitted to
Catalyst
Online and to The Catalyst in print by fax, 792-6723, or by email to
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