ProMedica Health System: INSIDE

Get Ready To Walk ‘n’ Roll! ProMedica Encourages
Employees to Start! Walking for a Healthier Life

In January 2007, the American Heart Association (AHA) launched Start!—a movement designed to help Americans improve their health, simply by walking. The cause promotes healthy lifestyles and takes a holistic approach to wellness, focusing on factors, such as emotional well-being, stress reduction and work/life balance.

“As one of the area’s largest employers, ProMedica has chosen to partner with Start! as sponsor of the 2010 northwest Ohio Start! initiative. Since workplace wellness programs have been shown to be an important strategy in the prevention of major risk factors for cardiovascular disease and stroke, our goal is to provide employees with support and tools to help them quit smoking, lose weight and make better lifestyle choices,” says Gladeen Roberts, RN, PhD, FACHE, president, ProMedica Continuing Care Services Corporation.

Start! Your Personal Journey Today

To take the first step in your personal journey toward a healthier, happier you, visit http://startwalkingnow.org. And, plan to register and participate in the ProMedica Employee Wellness Program’s six-week Walk ‘n’ Roll Challenge using the AHA Start! online exercise tool, kicking off in April. You could win big prizes, including a weekend trip to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland!

Also, mark your calendar and watch for more details about these upcoming events:

   • Wed., April 7: Start! Walking at Work Day … The ProMedica Employee Wellness     Program’s Walk ‘n’ Roll Challenge kicks off!

   • Sat., April 17: Hancock County Start! Heart Walk (Fostoria area)

   • Sat., May 15: Washtenaw County Start! Heart Walk & NuStep 5k Run (southeast     Michigan)

   • Sat., May 22: Toledo Start! Heart Walk & 10k Run

   • Sat., Sept. 18: Northwest Ohio Start! Heart Walk (Defiance area)

To date, ProMedica has helped AHA identify more than 35 miles of walking paths in our region, including at some ProMedica facilities, Toledo Metroparks, The Shops at Fallen Timbers, Westfield Franklin Park Mall, The City of Fostoria, and Levis Commons. Maps to those trails will be uploaded to the Start! web site so interested walkers can have them at hand whenever they’re ready to lace up their sneakers and go!

In addition, visitors to Start!’s interactive web site will find tools, tips and community activities to motivate and provide support to those who wish to improve their health.

FCH Employee Gets Healthy, Loses Weight

On June 4, 2009, Kimmie Daniel, radiological technologist, Fostoria Community Hospital, threw a graduation party for her daughter. Later, when she saw the photos of herself from that day, Kimmie realized it was time to get healthy. At the time, Kimmie weighed 230 pounds and was a size 16.

She wanted to improve her health and did research before starting her wellness plan. Kimmie decided to limit her diet to natural, fiber-rich foods and foods that balanced her diet. She also began to exercise by walking every day.

Now she eats mostly fruits and vegetables with lean meat and other food groups, like a serving of cheese or yogurt, to ensure that she gets proper daily nutrition. It took three months for Kimmie’s hard work to pay off—she lost 85 lbs.

“My plan was nothing fancy or special. I wanted to lose weight and look good—not be skinny, just healthy,” Kimmie says. “For me, it was an easy choice—cut out the fake foods and exercise. Now I don’t even crave the sugars and fats, and it’s amazing how great I feel!”

Kimmie’s exercise regimen started small, and the more she walked, the further she could go. By September, she was walking five miles a day. By December, she was keeping up with her daughter, running five miles a day, five days a week.

Kimmie credits ProMedica Employee Wellness Program activities with keeping her motivated. “ProMedica Employee Wellness continuously sends out information. It’s a constant reminder to be healthy,” Kimmie says. “It’s been the greatest thing for me.

“The Healthy Eating Challenge gave me new ideas,” continues Kimmie. “The programs have tips and recipes, and it’s right there for everyone.”

Kimmie’s Tips To Get Healthy

Do Your Research: Take time to learn which foods are healthy, high in fiber and complete a balanced diet. Check out the “Employee Wellness” section of myProMedica (http://my.promedica.org) for nutrition information and upcoming programs.

Eat a Natural, Balanced Diet: Skip items with preservatives, high sodium and unnatural sugars. If you have a craving for sweets, grab some fruit instead. Cut out excess fats, sugars and empty calories. Try new fruits, vegetables, lean meat, and healthy snack combinations to vary your food intake and prevent monotony in your diet. Give up soda pop; stick to water instead.

Eat Often and Increase Your Fiber: Eat small meals throughout the day, and eat primarily fruits and vegetables. Also, eat more fiber. It fills you up, decreases feelings of hunger, and satisfies cravings for fats and sugar.

When Eating Out, Order Carefully: If you choose to eat out, stick to grilled or broiled lean meats; salads with no cheese, no croutons and light dressing; or split your meal with a friend or family member.

Exercise Regularly: This is one of the most important parts of any wellness regimen, and it can cost you nothing but your excess fat. Start small and inexpensively by walking outside.

Reward Yourself: Buy yourself a gift or allow yourself a non-food indulgence as a reward for sticking to your healthy eating plan, exercising and keeping the weight off.

Jon Michel, Cara Imm, Gary Cates, Doug Mangas

In 2009, Gary Cates, president of Defiance Regional Medical Center (DRMC) and DRMC Employee Wellness Council member, issued a 12-week weight loss challenge to ProMedica North Region (NR). The four-person team and region that lost the greatest percentage of body weight would be declared the winners of the Weight Loss Showdown.

More than 150 employees from DRMC and 130 employees from NR participated in this challenge. The two regions lost a combined total of 1,590 pounds, but DRMC triumphed over NR by a margin of nearly 500 pounds.

The winning teams from each region were:

DRMC—Gary Cates, Cara Imm, Doug Mangas, and Jon Michel

NR—Amanda Dominique, Jody McCasky, Kristina Urbina, and Nicole Wilson

Members of the winning DRMC team have some advice to share with current participants in the ProMedica Employee Wellness Program’s Lose Healthy Challenge.

One thing that helped Cara Imm stay successful during the showdown was keeping a journal. “It is a great way to keep track of not only what you eat, but also how much you eat and when you eat,” she says. “You may notice that you tend to have a snack at 3 p.m. every day. Start bringing fruit, vegetables or some pretzels as a healthy alternative to scouring the vending machines.

“One important thing to remember with journaling is to always be 100% honest with yourself. If you make a mistake, make sure to write it down,” Cara continues. “It may make you rethink dessert later in the day.”

Jon Michel attributed his weight loss to some very simple lifestyle changes. “In truth, I just modified my serving sizes and exercised more,” he says. “The secret to my success was not cutting out the foods I loved, just eating less of them and adding healthier alternatives.”

The DRMC team was on the same page when they talked about accountability—not only for themselves, but for the team. They relied on each other and made sure that they were all working toward their individual goals.

“It’s hard to eat unhealthy food when you have several people not only watching, but judging everything you eat,” says Jon. “Your team is your support system—use them.”

Get Fit! Resistance Training with Exercise Bands

Resistance Training with Exercise Bands
Bruce Sibbersen, PT, clinical coordinator, Total Rehab, and Kristin Crawford, BS, exercise physiologist, Total Wellness, show you resistance training moves to help you get fit! Use the exercise band and handout you received in your Lose Healthy Challenge starter kit to perform these exercises. Exercise bands can also be purchased from Total Rehab, as well as many sporting goods and other retail locations.

Learn more