healthcare fitness

Welcome to Club 85

By Thomas Davis, DNAP, MAE, CRNA

Follow @procrnatom on twitter

Preface to Prevention

Claiming over 110,000 lives worldwide, COVID 19 is still dominating the news, and rightly so. Back in the 1990s when working at the University of Kansas and developing the first distance education program for nurse anesthetists, I could not imagine the of online education 25 years in the future. While computers keep the education process rolling, they also promote a sedentary lifestyle where a playground game of tag is replaced by video games. Over time, a lack of physical exercise combined with an excess of calories, salt and fat ushers in coexisting diseases, which require medications, which, in turn, suppress the immune system and make the individual less able to fend off COVID 19 or any other infection.

Healthcare providers are playing catch up and finally getting a grip on COVID 19 while vowing to be fully prepared for the next pandemic should it ever occur. Warehouses will be refilled with necessary supplies, and best practice guidelines will be developed. On a logistic level, we will be prepared for the next pandemic threat, but on a personal level, is your body tuned up to fend off the next viral threat?

Club 85

Updated daily, today’s data listed on The Johns Hopkins COVID dashboard indicates that approximately 3.5% succumb to the virus and die.” The percentage of people with full recover is more difficult to to determine, however, whitehouse briefings place the number at 85%. To date, there is no mention of what happens to those who neither fully recover or die. News reports reveal that the virus has its most deadly effects on the elderly and those with coexisting disease; however, this week’s watchdogs warn not to underestimate the potential deadliness of the virus for killing people at any age. Conversely, at 104 years, Italian Ada Zanusso proved to the world that a healthy body at any age can beat the virus. We may not be able to personally establish policies that prepare the nation for the next infectious event, but there are several steps we can take individually to increase the probability that when the next pandemic hits, you and I will be among the 85% with full recovery.

Scientists are working around the clock to develop a vaccine for COVID 19 and individual physicians are trying existing medications “off label” to improve outcome; however, it is the victim’s immune system that often makes the difference between life and death. Data collected and analyzed by Worldometer affirms the premise that mortality increases as the age and number of co-existing diseases increases with a sharp in crease in the death rate if the individual is age 60 or above. Co-existing diseases that are linked to increased mortality include cardiac disease, diabetes, chronic respiratory disease, hypertension and cancer. Those with coexisting disease are most likely to be on medications, and many medications suppress the immune system.

According to an AARP survey 75% of Americans over age 50 are on medications. Of those who take drugs, 80% are on two medications and 50% are on four or more. However, one does not need to be over age 50 to have co-existing disease and be on prescription drugs. These are the 10 most frequently prescribed drugs in America as identified by Becker’s Hospital review, most of which suppress the immune system.

Atorvastatin (Lipitor) suppresses the immune system by inhibiting HMG-CoA
Levothyroxine (Synthroid) does not suppress the immune directly, however, thyroid disease often has an autoimmune component and, therefore, the person may have altered immune function.
Lisinopril (Prinivil, Zestril) lowers vitamin E levels and depletes Zinc which is needed for a healthy immune system.
Gabapentin (Neurontin) suppresses lymphocyte T proliferation and changes cytokine profile release which alters the inflammatory response and inhibits the immune system.
Amlodipine (Norvasc) is known to suppress T cells, mast cells and macrophages.
Hydrocodone/Acetaminophen (Vicodin, Norco) suppresses the activity of NK cells, decreases helpful T-lymphocytes, decreases T-cell function, inhibits B-cell activity and enhances the growth of tumors that may be present.
Amoxicillin (Amoxil) Generally speaking, antibiotics do not weaken the immune system. However, some scientists believe that as organisms develop resistance to antibiotics it leaves the host more susceptible to future disease.
Omeprazole (Prilosec) Proton pump inhibitors do not directly suppress the immune system; however, they alter the intestinal flora which alters the uptake of nutrients and may indirectly affect the immune system.
Metformin (Glucophage) There is no evidence that Metformin weakens the immune system. However, those taking the drug are pre-diabetic and may have other issues that alter the body’s defense to the virus.
Losartan (Cozar) reduces the white cell count and suppresses T-cell activity.

Like our intentional multi-modal approach to pain control, nine out of ten of the “most frequently prescribed” drugs create the potential for a multi-modal approach to weakening the immune system. If your prescription drug is not in the top 10, it still may have immunosuppression as a side effect. Take the time to look it up and become aware. Is it any wonder that those who are on multiple medications are the least able to fend off COVID 19 or any other infection? The known threat of a weakened immune system should motivate healthcare workers who are obese, hypertensive or pre-diabetic to regain a fit body and get off the immunosuppressing drugs.

Connect the dots

Joining the 85% club starts with having a healthy body. There’s little ROI from buying fire insurance the day after the house burns down, or having good intentions for getting your body into optimal condition to survive the next virus unless you follow through. Preparation for fending off the next pandemic starts today with a focus on reversing coexisting disease, and reducing/eliminating daily medications that suppress the immune system. It may sound daunting, but with a few lifestyles changes, you can prepare for prevention.

Preparation for Prevention

Exercise

Your body was meant to move and be active; just look at the non-stop movement of a preschooler. The high energy of a child slows when he/she becomes an adult and enters the workforce. The pickup game of hoops morphs into watching videos (while munching high calorie snacks) and over time weight increases and metabolism drops, and the door opens for co-existing disease. The cure; get up and move. The Mayo Clinic reports that a combination of aerobic exercise, strength training and flexibility exercises will improve the following conditions: obesity, heart disease, diabetes, asthma, back pain, arthritis, and dementia. Get outside for a walk or bike ride. Convert the spare bedroom or empty basement space into a home gym. Take elastic bands on your walk and anchor them at a light pole for some resistance exercises. Success comes from commitment to daily exercise and as your weight comes down, you’ll get a boost of energy, you’ll regain self-respect, and be more productive in the other areas of your life.

Nutrition

Millions of dollars are spent every year on sophisticated diet plans to support the latest weight loss gimmick. Save your money; it’s not difficult to give your body the nutrients that it needs instead of the junk food we’ve been brain-trained to want. Whatever you put in your shopping cart lands in the larder, so take charge when you shop, and you’ll be in control when you eat. Harvard Health publishing recommends a diet high in fruit and vegetables for strengthening the immune system and its fight against infection. EatingWell affirms the Harvard recommendations and notes that a high fiber diet promotes weight loss and cuts the risk of type II diabetes. Eat lean red meat in moderation and use chicken or fish as primary sources of protein. You can increase nutrients and fiber by eating a large, colorful salad at least once a day. The food revolution network advises eating a rainbow of vegetables daily, pointing out that a palette of colors provides the variety of vitamins and trace minerals you require, nutrients that are lacking in prepared and packaged food. Who needs a multivitamin pill when vitamins come in a salad?

Hydration

Water is essential for cellular function and life itself. Lucky we are to live at a time when our drinking water is the safest in the history of the world, and it’s delivered to the kitchen faucet at a relatively low cost. Yet, many people live in a state of relative dehydration that does not allow the body to function at its best. Explore Health online notes that diabetes, low carb diets, stress, aging and eating too few fruits and vegetables can all contribute to cellular dehydration. The solution is to put down the coffee mug and pick up the water jug. Be mindful to limit salt and refined sugar which also dehydrate the body’s cells. Healthline recommends a minimum of 13, 8oz cups of water per day for men and 9 cups for women to normalize hydration and promote efficient cellular function.

Sleep

Improving exercise, nutrition and hydration are a good start, but if you are burning the candle at both ends, your body will not be at its best under stress. Follow the recommendations of sleepfoundation.org, and put yourself on a regular schedule for both bedtime and awakening, and ensure that you get 7-9 hours of sleep. Plan so that the time leading up to sleep is caffeine and stress free. Yoga, stretching and meditation are all excellent bridges from the working day to restful sleep. Value your rest as much as you value your work.

Hindsight provides insight but only proactive planning followed by action will change the outcome the next time we are faced with a market crashing, mind-blowing showstopper like the one created by COVID 19. For those who are obese, hypertensive or diabetic, now is the time to step up and take action to improve your health and, hopefully, wean yourself from drugs that weaken your immune system. For those who are disease free but sedentary, now is the time to establish a lifestyle built upon activity, nutrition, hydration and rest to ensure that you stay in club 85.

Final note: Even with all you may have done personally to boost your immune system via a dedicated healthy lifestyle, and all that you and your employer have done collaboratively to prevent your being exposed to the next “pandenemy,” it’s possible you may still be diagnosed with COVID 19. If you should test positive, and you’re girded by excellent health and a strong immune system, I’ll bet my COVID cleaned, best pressed scrubs that you will emerge to become a member of Club 85.

Tom is an experienced leader, author and requested speaker.

Redefine normal

By Liz Sanner Davis, certified personal trainer

A friend and I exchanged this text talk on January 1. “After the fireworks…back to normal – normal food, normal exercise, normal normalcy.” “Ha! Define ‘normal.’”

We laughed, of course, because, after all, what really is “normal food and exercise?”

Following all our joyful noise and fa-la-lollies, we agreed that perhaps we should redefine it.

Based on one’s intended lifestyle, normal simply isn’t the same for everyone. It can’t be. Your co-workers, John and Jill, have three children to consider, Emily and her spouse have hefty commutes, Cheryl has live-in elderly parents and Damont is the only unencumbered single male. But they have one thing in common. They work outside the home in the healthcare profession. Their normal is defined around their jobs.

Make nutrient-dense food and regular exercise ‘who you are’

and not just ‘something you do.’

Results from research on the positive impact of exercise completed by multiple healthcare, business and fitness professionals are very convincing. Harvard Business Review concluded several years ago that “incorporating regular exercise into your routine” improved concentration and prolonged mental stamina while lowering stress. A current impact-of-fitness study by Leeds Metropolitan University in England suggests that the level of focus and efficiency in the fit worker creates the extra time needed for going to the gym in the first place. Becker Hospital review names numerous hospitals in its list of 100 great places to work in healthcare based on their onsite fitness facilities. In addition, hospital studies regarding the effect of unfit, unhealthy employees on the bottom line of their organization’s budget, support the concept that providing for employee fitness pays significant dividends for both employee and employer. From the employee’s perspective, the professional reasons to get fit are many.

You will be sick or injured less often if you take care of yourself by exercising and eating a plant-based nutrient-dense diet. Although there is secondary gain when you are ill, there are personal risks for developing chronic conditions, risks to your coworkers who don’t want to get sick and further risks for patients who are already sick. People who take good care of their total wellness are able to work, they feel like working and their personal performance has greater potential for being optimal.

Your physical strength and endurance are greatly enhanced by being trim and fit. In a fast-paced clinic where every second counts, the fit employee can bend, lift, carry, push and pull quickly and efficiently without causing patient or personal injury in the process. Some applications for anesthesia jobs specifically state the requirement for an applicant to be able to safely lift and carry patients and equipment. If you have a sedentary healthcare job in which you rarely need to bend from the waist, more’s the pity, because without staying trim and fit, soon you won’t be able to.

Personal Appearance is more convincing and comforting to patients and coworkers when you look and feel rested, energetic and fit. And don’t believe for a moment that in this world of social change and cultural acceptance, one’s appearance gets a pass. It doesn’t. Who can take you seriously if you’re a healthcare worker who is unhealthy by choice? It isn’t incumbent on the patient to suspend disbelief in the care rendered by an obese nurse or physician whose presentation reflects a preference for unhealthy self-care. The patient needs the reassurance provided by a dedicated healthcare worker who has a healthy BMI to accompany their competence. Both play a role in your profession.

Working, and working with you, will be pleasant. Scrooge wasn’t just cheap, he was ornery, and ornery is neither inspiring nor fun. A great job in a name-brand hospital that can boast glass breaking research and a to-die-for benefit package will not, all by itself, make you pleasant to be around. It is true that a stellar work situation offers a lot to make you smile, but cap that off with the deep body glow you radiate after working out and eating a fresh peach before arriving at work, and everyone around you will want to be there, around you. Regular exercise and a diet that fuels your disposition bumps up stellar to superior.

You’re the face of the organization. The status and stature of the organization within the greater community and beyond is confirmed by stats provided by patient satisfaction based on both the medical outcome and overall experience. While carefully avoiding any mention of the staff’s physical attributes or deficits, the plethora of patient-satisfaction surveys always include questions regarding friendliness of staff, willingness of provider to listen, advice from the provider for staying healthy, amount of time spent with the patient and overall care. Those answers are affected by the healthcare team’s individual and collective level of wellness, general disposition, physical ability to do the job with ease and by being fully engaged and consistently on the job; all of those positive behaviors and interactions are a direct result of the food, fitness and overall healthy habits that you practice. As well, though your benefits likely include sick days in one form or other, you’re not entitled to abuse yourself and, thereby, cost the organization. The corporate budget suffers when employees are absent, chronically ill or if dissatisfied patients choose to get their care elsewhere. Your definition of normal food and normal exercise is rooted in your respect for yourself and for your organization.

What you have to do and the way you have to do it is incredibly simple. Whether you are willing to do it is another matter. ~ ~Peter Drucker

Some suggestions for how to get that deep-body glow at work

Drink water during or between cases – 8-10 measured glasses a day and spread them out if you possibly can. Your body will adjust quickly to the new volume because exercise strengthens all muscles including those that control bladder urgency. Coffee, however, doesn’t function like water and isn’t included in the count.
Stretch during breaks. There are a dozen different ways and times to stretch at work; bend slowly to touch toes once between each patient; stand against the wall and shrug or do one or several arm circles overhead and meditate simultaneously; do a few simple squats, bent-knee leg lifts, side to side neck rotations; do slow isometric rows by squeezing scapulae only. Get even more active on longer breaks by jogging down one set of exit stairs and lunging back to the top. During lunch several sets can be done on stairs or down a quiet hallway. Bonus tip: Stretching can and should be done at the back of an airplane during a long flight.
Use proper fitness techniques for bending lifting and carrying. Picture Sponge Bob with a four-cornered flexible core. Support your movements using your entire trunk including squeezing abs, spine-in-line posture, retracted scaps/broad chest, and flexible pelvis. Bending over by using the lower neck and locked knees is potentially an unplanned day off work and corporate budget buster.
Bring nutrient-dense lunch and snacks to work and pack them from your own food stock. Low-fat, low-sugar, low-salt, low-carb, high fiber, vitamin and protein rich foods are qualifiers; tacos, fat-filled wraps, cheesey burgers and everything-but-the-refrigerator cookies are not. Repeat this mantra often: Food is fuel, sugar is cruel.
Cardio for at least 20 minutes to warm up for the work day. This is important. Cardiovascular exercise strengthens your heart and breaks through the mental cobwebs to fire you up physically for the day. Everyone has 24 hours to budget so trade out 30 minutes of yours in the evening with 30 in the morning; slog down 1 cup of water and hop on the bike, the treadmill, a Peloton spin bike like the one advertised by the young, gorgeously toned couple on TV, or get outside in a safe neighborhood and knock off 20 min of fast-paced, sweaty heart-throbbing cardio before work. Don’t forget to stretch two minutes afterward. You can still go to the gym for weights or kick-boxing class after work with Damont!

The same voice that says, “Give Up,” can also be retrained to say, “Keep going.”

~ Lisa Bargstadt, personal trainer

We all like to get things done quick-as-a-bunny, yesterday. Your patient wants his broken femur to heal in time to ski in February while you may want to fit into that little black dress in time for a wedding next week. And though fitness trainers may willingly sell you an expensive package of promises and an optimistic healthcare worker may give an injured skier some reason for hope, getting fit and staying that way will take time – your time in real time. That’s just the truth. In the meantime, if you’re consistent and dedicated, you can jumpstart the process to becoming a trim, fit healthy worker who elevates and validates the healthcare profession by redefining your normal.

Get Fit for Duty

By Thomas Davis, CRNA, MAE, Lt. Col (ret)

Follow @procrnatom on Twitter

Obesity is today’s smoking. In an article published in USAToday, authors O’Donnell, Barry and Covington make the case that obesity and inactivity could outpace smoking as a cause of cancer in the upcoming decades. Further, a video accompanying the article presents evidence that childhood obesity greatly increases the probability of depression as an adult. Connecting the dots, if you are inactive and obese with an elevated risk of cancer, and if your children are also obese, their risk for adult depression greatly increases as well as their risk for cancer. Nobody would consciously wish cancer or depression upon themselves or their families and yet the bad news is that obesity with its co-morbidity is rampant in our profession and our society. The good news is that you are the one who can change the course of your personal history with three simple steps; get motivated, change your behaviors and use technology to stay on track.

Get motivated

If you’re obese, you have more than a few extra pounds to lose, a task which you may view as a daunting. Make it manageable by tuning into your thoughts becoming aware of your inner dialogue. Are you thinking I Can or I Can’t? I Hate exercise or I Can Learn Some Exercises I like? Thinking I should is not a call to action; however, thinking I will sets you up for success. Here are some tips for motivating yourself to re-claim a healthy body,

Have a reason Write down a purpose for changing your lifestyle and read it every morning and evening. Use affirming words like can and will and focus on what you know you get out of it, not what feel you’re giving up. Make it your goal to gain health and avoid focusing your attention on losing weight.
Get a buddy. Share the accountability with a friend who has a similar desire to improve his/her health. Team up, check in frequently and support one another.
Keep a Journal. Writing a daily entry in a journal helps you track your success while providing a frequent reminder of your goal and the many reasons it’s important to you.

Change your behavior

Behavior that is repeated becomes a habit. Here are some behavior changes that you can make today and when repeated daily for 8 weeks will become healthy habits.

Morning workout/stretch. Wake up your body by getting in motion in the morning. An early morning gym workout is optimal however many people don’t have the time or resources to make it happen. That’s OK but it’s not an excuse for inactivity. Develop a plan to do a short home workout, stretch and crunch every day before you start your morning routine. Check out the 7-Minute Workout..
Park at far end of lot. Every step you take counts so park where you can take the most steps. While walking in from the lot, think about why you’re doing is and what other things you can do that day to support your goal.
Take stairs. Take the stairs whenever possible. Only take the elevator if the distance is more than your legs will tolerate, in which case, take one set of stairs and then the elevator.
Drink water. Your body needs water to function properly. In addition, when you are well hydrated salt is cleared from your system which reduces water retention. Your digestion and metabolism both improve when you are well hydrated.
Eliminate sugary drinks. Sugary drinks will sabotage your wellness efforts. It only takes a few high-sugar drinks to double your calorie intake for the day and consuming them diverts you from what your body really need – water.
Bring your lunch. Control the number and quality of calories that you eat by bringing your own food. Pack a high-nutrient low-fat low-sugar lunch and do not eat anything that you do not bring with you. Avoid the temptation of making your lunch an appetizer before eating lounge food.
Ban lounge junk food. It’s not always possible to control the behavior of others however banning junk food from the lounge raises the level of awareness of your colleagues and may motivate some of them to join the new healthier you. At the very least, don’t be the one bringing the junk.

Use technology

Harness and use to digital technology to your advantage when developing a healthy lifestyle. Texting and social media connect you with friends who can offer support as you share your progress. As well, there are countless apps you can use to develop your exercise and nutrition program and track your progress. Following are ten apps as described by their advertisements.

Keas Keas is a web-based, holistic wellness program, focusing on health goals and activities. Just imagine a site where you combine social media, fun interactive games, informative quizzes, and a little bit of healthy competition between you and your peers. You can choose to focus on whatever is important to you. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/keas/id432425118?mt=8

Fitbit Live a healthier, more active life with Fitbit, the world’s leading app for tracking all-day activity, workouts, sleep and more…track basic activity and runs on your phone or connect with one of Fitbit’s many activity trackers to get a complete picture of your health—including steps, distance, calories burned, sleep, weight, and more. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fitbit/id462638897?mt=8

Endomondo track all your workouts using GPS, check your stats, and reach your fitness goals. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/endomondo/id333210180?mt=8

My fitness pal MyFitnessPal makes it easier to log your food and activity. The more you log, the more you’ll learn about your habits and how to make healthier choices. And, best of all, logging gets easier the more you do it. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/myfitnesspal/id341232718?mt=8

Daily burn A new workout streamed to your mobile device every day. https://www.amazon.com/DailyBurn-Daily-Burn-Streaming-Workouts/dp/B00HAPXDWK

7 minuteWorkout Become your own personal trainer to lose weight and get fit with fast, simple daily workouts. 12 high intensity bodyweight exercises. 30 seconds per exercise, 10 seconds rest between exercises. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/7-minute-workout/id650762525?mt=8

Fooducate Fooducate is a diet coach for people who want lose weight and keep it off by eating healthy, real food. Track your food, activity, sleep, hunger, and mood. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/fooducate-nutrition-tracker/id398436747?mt=8

Map my run Track and map every run with MapMyRun and get feedback and stats to improve your performance. Discover the best running routes, save and share your favorites, and get inspired to reach new running goals. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/map-my-run-by-under-armour/id291890420?mt=8

Shop well ShopWell lets your food do the talking. The free SHOPWELL app tells you what’s in the food you’re buying at the grocery store and offers suggestions of new foods to try that fit with your lifestyle. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/shopwell-healthy-diet-grocery-food-scanner/id393422300?mt=8
Meditation studio Meditation Studio is the award-winning, 5-star app with over 300 guided meditations from more than 30 leading experts. Whether you want to relieve stress, ease anxiety, improve sleep, ease confidence or simply feel a bit more calm and peaceful, this app is for you. https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/meditation-studio/id1066018502?mt=8

We are an obese society, rapidly expanding. A large number of us in healthcare need to be wide awake and ready to roll as early as 6:30 a.m. and obesity is not society’s best friend. Throw out the stress and the excuses and focus on improving your health. Do something every day to support that goal, get a buddy to have some fun and share the load; adopt new behaviors two at a time until good health is a habit. Be a healthcare role-model for the respect we have for society, for our careers, for ourselves and our children.

Special thanks to Liz Sanner Davis for editing and collaboration.

Thomas Davis is a noted leader, educator, speaker and clinical anesthetist.

Join Tom and a group of leaders for the values-based leadership webinar. Click here for information.

Employee Wellness is No Joke

Follow @procrnatom

Employee Wellness is No Joke

By Liz Sanner Davis. Liz is a Certified personal trainer and frequent author for procrna.com

It’s one of the biggest jokes in the lay community. Q. Where can you find the sickest people? A. In a hospital! You probably don’t think that’s funny because every day you look at people with broken arms or legs, or repeat patients who have brutally aggressive melanomas or who live with the consequences of diabetes. Their pain is not amusing. But the joke, the cynically funny part, is that the joke is really referring to the hospital employees, your physician or physician’s assistant, the chief surgeon or anesthetist, the head of HR or the department secretary, YOU. The overweight and out of shape hospital employee appears as a huge disappointment to patients who are sick and seek your help.

Two-hundred-plus years ago, extra body fat was considered to be a sign of wealth. Abbigail Adams, after all, was short and fat. In spite of her years of physical labor on the farm and having to endure significant revolutionary war shortages, Abby still “enjoyed” a majority of her years ingesting quantities of comfort food. She and others of wealth and repute often made huge contributions to society whilst making ample time, following the years of economic travails of the war, for sitting, eating and being served often, if not well.

Is that you? Are you, in spite of 40-50 hours per week on your feet, in spite of regular paychecks and good benefits, in spite of wellness issues smacking you with direct hits daily, are you fat and flabby with chronic pain that plagues you all the way to the peanut butter cups and chocolate bars in the break room? Well, then, the joke’s on you, ‘though the patient isn’t laughing.

Don’t get me wrong. Being laughed at is ok on occasion, but laughing with is a whole lot more fun, and being the laughingstock? Not fun at all. In a new society that likes to outsource responsibility for their health to the healthcare industry, what part of your health problem is theirs, and what part of the problem is yours to fix or to prevent?

One can follow the history of workplace wellness in a timeline that begins with centuries-old Asian cultures, where employers dictated the wellness rules to employees. Throughout central Europe taxpayers supported and still support mandatory month-long employee holidays, thermal baths included. In the 1800’s, westward across the pond the wealthy elite offered workplace exercise activities to other wealthy elite. George Pullman, of rail fame, was one of the first to provide for general employee onsite wellness. (http://www.marketwatch.com/story/companies-meddling-in-employee-health-since-1880-2013-04-11)

The1970’s until the present have brought gradual changes to wellness in America. We have tried to approach wellness the same way we approach politics – by keeping The Nutrition Party and the Exercise Party separate. But over the last 45+ years, we have learned that exercise coupled with nutrition equals wellness. Along the way during those 45 years, the cost of living, the cost of healthcare and, therefore, the cost of taxes has risen exponentially. Fewer people carry the large economic burden and as medical know-how improves and the need for healthcare increases, the health of over-worked, over-stressed and over-tired employees has created a greater need than ever for wellness in the workplace. Employers are stepping up.

Broward, in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla, advertises, “We are a hospital-based fitness center with professionals certified by the American College of Sports Medicine and the National Strength and Conditioning Association. Our staff includes nutritionists and personal trainers who are educated in exercise physiology and nutrition, helping you create a healthier body, inside and out.”
Employees at The Johns Hopkins, Baltimore, MD provide a wealth of options presented on a monthly calendar that guides employees to the right location whether to enjoy a walking program or a smoking cessation appointment. Incentives are offered to encourage participation and commitment, and who doesn’t love praise and free stuff?
Grant Health and Fitness Center in Columbus, Ohio promotes “…health enhancement and disease prevention.” It is associated with a vast network of area hospitals and all locations have employee-friendly hours, a no-excuses kind of offer to help you maintain your status as an employee rather than as a patient.
The Cooper Institute, Dallas, TX has associated itself with healthcare entities for decades and offers certification for employees to return to the workplace and develop wellness/fitness programs. The Cooper’s credible certification program attracts healthcare, corporate and government clients worldwide.

Providing employee wellness programs like these benefits the employer as well as the participant. Company insurance rates go down based on number of participants and proven results. Employee absenteeism is significantly reduced. People who work out together, work better together. They’re happier and, usually, just nicer to be around. And the quality of work provided by the healthy employee improves the entire company culture. Good health should reduce healthcare costs and reduced health care costs should lower our taxes!

But, be ready to pay if you want to play. Everyone wants something for free. If one thing has a fee and the other is free, we all know we will try very hard to make the freebie work, even if it really doesn’t. And if something costs nothing, the likelihood that we will follow through with the acquisition diminishes along with the return.

If wellness and fitness programs are not available at your place of work, get on it. the gym manager to your department chair. Head to Dallas to get certified at the Cooper Institute. After a rigorous week or two of classes and examinations, you could be qualified to blaze some trails to a clinic back home in Mississippi or Wyoming.

If wellness and fitness programs are available at your place of work, get to it. Join a program or help design a new one. Arrange to work with a qualified trainer. Get a work-out buddy and give and get the support that a partner provides, even and especially if you get to make a new friend doing it. For quality results, be certain to follow an integrated program that includes nutrition along with fitness. Be prepared and willing to pay the fee if it isn’t free.

So, what card will you be at work – the joke or the joker? Peanut butter and banana sandwiches may be how many of us got through college, but not through life. Take advantage of the whole-meal-deal offered by the employer at your place of work, and remember: The changes you make, the integrated health that you display to the patient, increases their trust and respect in the entire healthcare industry. Together, the patient’s trust and your good health will leave a permanent impression on history.

More:

http://www.corporatewellnessmagazine.com/worksite-wellness/the-evolution-of/http://www.bethesdaweb.com/employee-wellness-programs http://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-management-administration/18-most-popular-wellness-programs-for-hospital-employees.html

http://www.fiercehealthcare.com/story/what-hospitals-are-doing-employee-wellness/2012-03-15

http://www.amnhealthcare.com/the-roi-of-hospital-employee-wellness-programs/

http://www.cooperinstitute.org/pub/class_list.cfm?course_id=303

CRNA Fitness: Cardiovascular Exercise

Cardio is probably the most common form of structured exercise in America.

In the 1960’s Dr Kenneth Cooper, the founder of The Cooper Institute in Dallas, TX, introduced aerobic exercise to the fitness world and made cardio a common household word. Cooper soon after became crowned the “king of hearts.”

Cardiovascular or aerobic exercise is any structured exercise that elevates the heart rate for a sustained period of time such as jogging, power walking, elliptical training, treadmill walking, and lifecycle pedaling and is essential to any quality fitness program. Not only does aerobic exercise strengthen the heart, it raises the metabolism, which burns calories, which helps you lose or maintain weight, not to mention releasing feel-good endorphins which makes you feel good to be around. And you’ll notice that someone who has just completed a cardio work-out doesn’t usually slouch out the gym door..they hustle out. Cardio is better than Boost for raising your level of energy and it’s lower in calories, too.

To get the most out of your cardio, allot a specific amount of time, start out a tad slowly, then pick up the pace, sustaining a challenging speed for the majority of the work-out. Turn on your i-pod or watch a video flick, but take mental time to focus on form and breathe smoothly, with rhythm. Did I mention water? Drink before, drink during, drink after. You do not need any beverage other than cool water for normal work-outs. Remember, you’re trying to burn calories, not drink them. Allow a two to five-minute gradual cool down, wipe up the sweat and stretch. It’s okay to stretch before the session begins, but you won’t be warm enough to do a great job of it. Better to simply be fully awake, get a few calories from an orange or tiny bowl of oatmeal, get partially hydrated and “hit the road.” If you’re really slow at getting warmed up, you can stop after five minutes to stretch before continuing, especially if you’re on pavement, otherwise, five to ten minutes of long leisurely stretching following your cardio is ideal.

Stay off the pavement if you have bad knees, wear padded pants if you cycle, don’t carry anything heavy when you power walk, make like a camel for all cardio, and burn, Baby, burn. You, too, can be crowned the King and Queen of Hearts.

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