The Power of Health and Happiness Pilar Gerasimo , Experience Life Magazine

The Power of
Health and Happiness
Pilar Gerasimo
Editor in Chief, Experience Life Magazine
Senior VP, Education, Life Time Fitness
Where does
personal power
come from?
Renewable
power sources
3
Reasons
1) Without optimal health and
vitality,
everything else becomes tougher.
2) Day-to-day opportunities for
reflection, action, feedback.
3) Whatever is interfering with your
health and fitness are the same
things holding you back in other
areas.
Like what?
Like …
 Weak or unclear boundaries
 Accepting status-quo as normal
 Making self a low priority
 Low self-esteem/self-image
 Willingness to face fears/discomfort/ask for help
 Fear of achieving full potential
 Resistance to leaving comfort zone
 Not knowing/acknowledging true desires
 Inability to direct focus, pursue goals
How do you
change THAT
stuff?
Daily awareness,
daily choices …
Where my
learning path
took me …
The landscape of personal change …
Most of us have changes
we’d like to make …
Woo hoo!
I’m going .to change
my life!
…and challenges we’d like
to overcome.
Uh oh!
I’m gonna need
to do
.
some work!
BIG HILL
Assessment
What is calling?
What next?
Follow-Through
Adjustments required?
How can I get the
support or info I need
to keep going?
Cycle of
Personal
Change
Feedback
Have I taken action?
Am I running into trouble?
Do I need help?
Commitment
What am I ready and
willing to do about it?
It starts with a vision …
and the goals that will take you there.
And it never
stops.
My
story …
My
(earth)
mother …
Two friends
with a
dream…
Ah, 1970 …
Our hippy
commune
No help
at all …
A new breed of healthy-living
magazine was born …
And then the
real work began …
My cautionary tale(s)
 Taking it on the chin … and the foot
My top health tip …
Notice and respect
your natural rhythms.
The Ultradian Performance Rhythm
Top
Performance
Top
Performance
Stress
Activity
Level
Ultradian
Healing
Respons
e
Stress
Ultradian
Healing
Respons
e
90
20
90
20
Minutes
Minutes
Minutes
Minutes
Adapted from Rossi, E.L.: The 20 Minute Break. Tarcher-Putnam, New York, 1991 p. 12
What happens during “downtime”
 Neurological sorting/filing
 Restoration of mental focus, thinking capacity
 Creative connections and “aha” moments
 Energy (ATP) generation and blood-sugar/insulin






balancing
Cellular repair, healing, anti-inflammatory action
Detoxification of metabolic waste
Immune boosting
Endocrine rebalancing (stress and sex hormones)
Mood regulation
Pleasure/receptivity and pro-social triggers … and
more
What do we value instead?
 Unadulterated, constant productivity
 Long-suffering endurance
 Busier-than-thou relating
AM
PM
Result: Stress
 Systemic effects
–
–
–
–
–
–
–
Biochemical
Neurological
Genetic
Structural/skeletal
Mental
Emotional
Spiritual
Signs of excess stress
 Disrupted daily patterns (food, sleep, bathroom habits)
 Skin, digestive ailments
 Irritability, depressed mood
 Impaired memory, “scatter-brained” thinking
 Weight gain or loss, cravings or loss of appetite
 Fatigue, headache, muscle tension
 Hormonal imbalance, hair loss, night sweats
 Loss of sex drive
 Frequent colds or flu
 Feeling overwhelmed vs. excited, energized
Things we do to cope
 Fuel with sugar, carbs, caffeine
 Rush meals
 Work harder, longer
 Skip workouts and yoga classes
 Sleep less
 Spend less time with family, friends
 Watch TV to “tune out”
 Self-medicate to relax
 Take pharmaceutical drugs to deal with symptoms
Scary statistic:
85-90%
(percent of doctors’ office visits thought
to be at least in part attributable to stress)
Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
More scary statistics
 More than two-thirds of the U.S. population





overweight
Only about 30 percent of Americans report getting
any kind of regular exercise
One in two adult Americans suffers a chronic illness
More than half of U.S. adults on one or more
prescription drugs
Percentage of U.S. children with chronic health
conditions has nearly quadrupled in the past 40 years
1 in 2 men, 1 in 3 women, will be diagnosed with
cancer
Embracing a better alternative …
“101 Revolutionary Ways to Be Healthy”
 Mobile app
 Interactive Web feature
 Poster
– Printed
– Downloadable