March 2006

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Personal Olympics

By Harriet Spain, M.P.H.

I love to watch the Olympics. Aside from the patriotism and beautiful scenery of the winter Olympics, I am also awed by the bodies, strength, grace, and endurance of the athletes.

Olympic-level competitors push their bodies to the limit. While that makes them fascinating to watch, they also seem like a different species. I marvel that I am watching fellow human beings who have the same basic elements – bones, muscles, tendons, etc. – as I. We look and move so very differently that it's almost like watching a National Geographic special on something like "Fastest Runners of the Serengeti" or "Acrobats of the Arctic."

Personal best

Yet in spite of the differences in ability and age between me and the athletes, the Olympics still inspire me. The competitors motivate me to work towards my non-international-record-setting best. Or at least my personal better. My goals are not Olympic-sized. I want to feel better, be healthier and maybe to look a little more fit too.

I do have limitations that they do not. I can't devote six hours a day to work out, I don't have an overriding passion for one activity or sport, and (fortunately) my life does not revolve around my physical performance. However, I do not dwell on what I cannot do.

• I can find an extra 30 minutes on most days.
• I can find one or two activities I enjoy.
• I can rearrange my priorities to include being in better shape.

What resonates for you? Do you want to feel less stressed? Do you want to walk up the stairs without being winded? Do you want to throw a 30-pound bag of dog food into your car and not your back out with it? Do you want to lower your cholesterol?

Stages of change

Any change in habit, until the change itself becomes habit, requires an emotional and physical effort. This process is referred to as the stages of change. The "changee" usually meanders through a set of six steps en route to adopting new behaviors. These include:

1. Precontemplation, in which you're not even thinking of making any changes.
2. Contemplation, in which you plan to make a change within the next few months.
3. Preparation, in which you plan to make a change within the next month, and have taken steps toward this new behavior.
4. Action, in which you actually change your behavior.
5. Maintenance, in which you continue to change your behavior for more than six months.
6. Termination, in which your old behavior or habit is completely gone, replaced by your new and wonderful habit.

The process of change is not a straight shot through these steps, nor is there a timeline for each. Many people spend years in step 1, then dance around with step 2, then step 3, then 2, then 4, then back to 2, and so forth. Everyone knows someone who smoked for years, then struggled with quitting for months or years, but eventually ended up happily and more healthy in step 6.

Identifying goals

Maybe you haven't thought about making any health changes, or maybe you're planning to make some "soon." The following questions can help you figure out where you're at with regard to healthy changes, although if you've managed to read this far, number one is probably not applicable. Pick your issue (losing weight, reducing stress, exercising, etc.), and see where you are.

1. I never think about exercising.
2. I think about exercising every now and again.
3. I want to start exercising, but I haven't yet.
4. Sometimes I exercise, but I don't have a consistent routine.
5. I have recently started exercising regularly.
6. For the past year, I have taken a 30-minute walk three or four times every week.

Where are you? And how can you get to the next level? Perhaps you too can use inspiration you got from the Olympic athletes to launch yourself to improved health. I watched the Olympics, and I was motivated. And I will use that motivation, and any other support available, to make my efforts successful. Set yourself up for the easiest possible success by getting help from whatever and whomever you can. Some tips:

• Learn more about your health and health goals from credible sources, such as your doctor, reputable internet sites, community classes, books, and magazines. Stay away from anything that promises a quick fix.
• See if your employer offers any programs that can help, such as Weight Watchers at Work, or discounts on health club memberships.
• If you have a medical issue such as high blood pressure, see if your doctor will prescribe a consultation with a nutritionist.
• Make a plan, with small, manageable goals. Write it down.
• Tell family, friends, and co-workers about your plans so they can support you. Some people may try to sabotage your efforts; you may need to re-think some relationships.
• Try incorporating healthy things instead of just eliminating unhealthy things; adding lean proteins instead of just eliminating fried foods.
• Have a routine that fits in with your other activities, and stick to it.
• Use reminders to help you adopt new habits: keep your gym bag in your car, set your watch alarm to remind you to walk up a flight or two of stairs during the workday, keep your multivitamins next to your toothbrush.
• Find a "self-improvement buddy." Having someone to meet at the gym, eat healthy lunches with, go to yoga class with, etc., is very helpful because we're often more faithful to our friends than to ourselves.
• Praise yourself frequently for sticking to your plan. It's hard to change! Celebrate your successes in new, healthy ways.

... and most importantly, don't give up. As you "one step forward, two steps back" your way through the stages of change, remember that Olympic athletes aren't born, they are trained. Anyone and everyone can make and keep healthy changes in their lives. Our gold medal moments may not be broadcast to millions of people, but they are just as important, and just as fulfilling!

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