Five steps to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle

Captions: (group photo) UnitedHealthcare’s Regional Director of Health Strategies Suzanne Perkins offers Ton of Fun Weight Loss Campaign participants tips on tracking food intake and other healthy lifestyle options. Weight loss groups like the Ton of Fun program offered at Fleet Feet Sports in Sarasota, Fla., offer a supportive network of like-minded participants who are facing the same challenges. YMCAs and recreation centers are another option for these types of programs. (second photo) Many local running stores offer weekly community fun runs that attract runners and walkers. Many people find that meeting for a run or walk with friends helps provide healthy and social alternatives to the traditional happy hour or a great way to involve other family members in healthy living and habits.

The President’s Council officially recognizes May as National Physical Fitness & Sports Month, a great reminder and opportunity to start achieving your personal health and wellness goals.

In Florida, more than 26 percent of adults are considered obese, a number that increases to over 30 percent for adults 45-64 years of age, and over 23 percent of adults report doing no physical activity outside of their regular jobs according to the America’s Health Rankings® Annual Report.

These alarming statistics may have serious health consequences and may increase your risk of developing chronic diseases and cancer. Luckily, many illnesses and diseases can be avoided by adopting healthy behaviors, including increasing physical activity.

Consider the following five steps to help you achieve a healthier lifestyle:

Step 1: Think About Your Goals and Motivations

Assess your overall health and wellbeing and identify an actionable area for improvement, like your daily nutrition or your weekly physical activity levels. A great place to start is by tracking your food/drink intake and exercise in a daily journal or fitness/calorie tracker. Along with the assessment, it’s also important to determine your motivation for making a change. Is it to feel better? Have more energy? Play with your kids or grandkids?

Step 2: Set Your Goals

You are ready for a healthier change, so set realistic and measureable goals. For example:

• Quit smoking
• Get your annual physical or wellness exam
• Walk 30 minutes a day, or take an easy walk around your neighborhood, or simply start counting your steps with a pedometer or other fitness tracking device
• Eat more fruits and vegetables
• Reduce your calorie intake by 100 calories per day

Step 3: Revisit Your Goals and Motivations Weekly

Like life, this plan of action can change, so it’s important to revisit or even revise your goals each week. Review your journal/fitness tracker reports and see where you can start making small adjustments. Revisiting your goals, as well as your reasons for wanting to achieve these goals, may help you achieve them. Continue to track your progress so you remind yourself that you are making positive changes and reaching milestones.

Step 4: Reward Your Accomplishments

You’re working hard, so go ahead and treat yourself to something you enjoy that does not conflict with your plan and goals, such as buying a new piece of workout apparel or purchasing a new song for your iPod. Rewarding yourself as short-term goals are reached can help keep you motivated to stay on your path.

Step 5: Don’t Go to the Extreme

The most common reason that plans fail is because they are unrealistic. While it’s great to be motivated to improve your health, too much change too soon can be unsustainable. Consult with your doctor or another qualified professional to find a diet and exercise regimen that best fits your lifestyle.

Employer-sponsored health and wellness programs

To help support your health and wellness goals, you may have access to employer-sponsored health and wellness programs. Some health insurers, such as UnitedHealthcare, offer plan participants a variety of health and wellness programs and incentives. These may include online and telephonic wellness coaching, gym membership reimbursements, and financial incentives worth hundreds of dollars for participating in programs or achieving nationally recommended health levels. Be sure to ask your employer or insurer what is available to you.

Following these tips may not be easy at first. Experts say it takes about 21 days for a new activity, such as exercising, to become a habit, and 6 months for it to become part of your lifestyle, so go slow. Your new healthful habits can become second nature in no time.

Suzanne Perkins MS, LMHC, is the Regional Director of Health Strategies for UnitedHealthcare, where she leads a team of Health Strategy Consultants in the Southeast region of the US. The team uses analytics to develop strategic plans that help customers establish long-term solutions to manage and improve their health and reduce healthcare costs.