Workplace wellness

My employer, University of Alaska, has been working pretty hard over the past couple of years to encourage its employees' health through various workplace programs, like the Start Walking program I've now participated in twice. (Actually, we're still in the midst of the second one — I'm still recording steps or their equivalent, even though I've already completed the major goal of making a virtual ascent & descent of Mt. Everest.) The other main program they're doing right now is called Get the Point involves earning incentive prizes based on however many points you accumulate through tracking various health activities.

Though frankly I think I've been getting plenty of benefit from it even if I wasn't now in line to win either a $100 gift card or a GPS unit. I'm earning one or the other (which one should I opt for?!!) as a result of having achieved the "Elite Tier" for the amount of points I've earned over six months for such things as exercising regularly, getting health checkups, losing weight, improving cholesterol levels, etc. But of course it was actually doing those things that counts most.

I was motivated to do those things anyway, so I wouldn't say that this program is responsible for me having made the improvements I've made. You've gotta be motivated from the get-go. But most definitely having a program like this in place, which encourages tracking one's progress & suggests different avenues for improving one's health & fitness, really helps one along the way. I haven't found the program to be perfect, by any means, but it's been pretty damn helpful, & I'm grateful to the university for putting it together, & for the outfit (Wellness Initiatives Network for Alaska) that's been actually running it.

Meanwhile, today I entered all the stuff I've done this month. Aside from my pretty GPS-earning point total (currently at 3,539 points — when I get motivated, I get motivated!), since starting this program I have:

• Lost 36 lbs. since Feb. 18 (down from 210 to 174).
• Improved my BMI from 38.5 to 31.9.
• Reduced my waistline by 4.5 inches (from 46 to 41.5).
• Improved on some other health indicators such as total & HDL cholesterol, blood pressure, etc.

Still some improvements to make, but hey. Not bad for five & a half months' work.