JOINT BASE CHARLESTON, S.C. –
Only 20 percent of adults meet the Federal Physical Activity Guidelines for aerobic and strength training exercise, which consists of two and a half hours of aerobic exercise and strength training two or more days per week. It may not be easy to make exercise a habit, but it certainly does have its rewards.
For example, did you know active people generally live longer and are at less risk for serious health conditions? The following tips can help you get active and stay that way.
- Easy does it. Talk with your doctor about what is appropriate for you, then start slowly and build up over time.
- Find a buddy. A buddy provides accountability and increased enjoyment.
- Set goals. Choose challenging, yet realistic goals, to set yourself up for success. Be sure to build in a reward system, like new workout gear.
- Make it fun. Exercise doesn’t have to be unpleasant, choose something you enjoy.
If you still find it hard to get started, your sleeping habits or your diet may be the culprit. The human body is such a well-connected system that poor sleep or a poor diet can rob you of the energy and motivation you may need to exercise. However, good rest and a nutritious diet can boost your energy and make your workouts great, which in turn leads to better sleep and better future health choices. And these can greatly impact your overall mental state of being as well, contributing to a person’s overall comprehensive fitness and well-being. See the connection?
The Health Promotion Office (also known as the Health and Wellness Center - HAWC), addresses issues like fitness, health, fatigue and nutrition with a professional staff and services. The HAWC can assist Active Duty and Tri-care beneficiaries with preventative health services and serves as one of the partnering agencies of the base’s Community Action Team. The goal of the base CAT is to provide programs, workshops or events & activities that support our comprehensive fitness endeavors in all four domains: mental, social, spiritual and physical. The CAT is comprised of the various helping agencies across the base, from Military & Family Readiness, to the Mental Health / Family Advocacy team, and the Chaplains, SARC and EO, just to name a few. The CAT is here to provide you with services or resources in every area of wellness to help you reach your personal goals; in this case, physical health goals.
A relatively new member of the CAT Team and a great health resource to the base is our Civilian Health Promotion Services (CHPS), which is a mobile worksite wellness program - providing screenings for cholesterol, blood pressure and body composition, health education classes and wellness/activity challenges. While it is targeted to offer services to our civilian force, many of the services and features are available for our military to take advantage of as well. To find out more about what’s available to you, contact either: