Have You Got What It Takes to Be Our Featured Fitness Person?

Are you a fitness minded person? Do you like sharing your vast knowledge of health and fitness with people seeking to improve their quality of life? Do you want to inspire others?

If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you just might be our Featured Fitness Person. So, what does that mean?

We are looking for individuals who are active, fitness minded, and willing to inspire and motivate others. We want to feature you here and tell the world about you. It's all about people inspiring people.

Here's what we need from you:

1) A short bio - tell us about you and your life, your occupation, your fitness activities, your interests, what you do for fun, and your goals.

2) Fitness/Activity Pictures - send us photos of you doing a fitness related activity such as exercising, walking, jogging, running, lifting weights, aerobics, yoga, martial arts, biking, skating, etc. - photos do not need to be taken by professional photographers

                                                          *****IMPORTANT*****
No shirtless photos or bikini photos will be considered. Fitness/Active wear is encouraged. This is a family friendly, non-profit website. Please send only photos that would be appropriate for this criteria.

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If you are selected as a Featured Fitness Person, we will write and post an article about you here with a photo of you. Your friends and family will be able to vote for you to become our Featured Fitness Person of the Month and Featured Fitness Person of the Year.

So, if you have what it takes to be a Featured Fitness Person:

Email Me Here with the information we've asked for and no more than 3 photos. Who knows? Maybe you can be our Featured Fitness Person!

See you back here!

Finding Fitness While Finding Nature

As the heat of summer wears on, fewer and fewer people seem to be venturing outside-and for good reason! Though there are a few very dedicated individuals braving the scorching sun and the high temperatures, most of us have retreated to the safety of our dens. Or, at best, we load up and go the an air conditioned gym for our workout. Well, who can blame us? These are the "Dog Days" of Summer.

One thing we are missing, however, is seeing nature at work. When temperatures are pleasant or even just tolerable, we tend to get out more on hiking trails or walk through the park. The good news is that the unbearable summer heat doesn't have to rob us of our time with nature.

Here are some solutions:

1. Get up a couple hours early for a stroll through a wooded park. If you are in a metropolitan area, you may have one nearby and easily accessible. You could ride your bike there for some extra benefit. Suburban residents often have "hike and bike" trails with natural surroundings.  Take advantage of these when no one else is. You'll likely have them all to yourself!

2. Get out later in the evening when you're more likely to see wildlife. Many animals are nocturnal and don't start moving around until dusk. With a flashlight or camping lantern, you'll have sufficient illumination for walking and seeing what's around you.

3. Wear an icy towel around your neck. Carry a small thermos with ice water to not only drink but to also make a cold towel to wear at the base of your skull. This will keep you from overheating as you walk or hike. Keeping your body temperature down like this will help you avoid heat exhaustion.

4. Do one or  more of these with a partner or a group. We tend to do better in groups when fighting extreme temperatures. Being able to converse with others will make the time pass quickly and the more eyes there are, the more that will be noticed in the natural settings around you.

It is possible to enjoy nature and achieve your fitness goals, even in extreme heat and drought conditions. It just takes a little planning and forethought. Happy Fitness!

A 4th of July Reflection and Decision

As we prepare to celebrate this 4th of July holiday, many among us begin reflecting on what has made America great and what keeps us moving as a nation. We often find ourselves in a state of gratitude for the men and women in uniform who serve our country and continue to provide us with Freedom.

It is because of our brave military that we enjoy the liberty to pursue our lives any way we see fit. Just as diverse as our population, so are the lifestyles we live as individuals. While some wake up each and every day looking for a new challenge, others will simply exist from one day to the next. Then, there are many who fall somewhere in between.

Where do you find yourself  today? Are you completely satisfied with your personal well being? Is there more you feel you should be doing?

We invite you to step up and challenge yourself this 4th of July weekend by making a decision to become the best version of "you" possible. Our men and women in uniform accept this challenge on a daily basis in order to afford each of us the Freedom we enjoy. Let's each make the decision to be committed to being healthy, active, and up for a challenge. It's not just good for each of us, it's good for all of us as Americans.

We have invaluable resources here on our website to help you. Please see our featured articles and calendar of events to stay current.

Have a Safe and Happy 4th of July!

Shape Up Sugar Land is now on Facebook

Shape Up Sugar Land is now on Facebook:

Dr. Christopher Breuleux, President of the Medical Wellness Association, Board Member with Shape Up Sugar Land and Advisory Member for the Mayors Fitness Council, discusses the goals and benefits for wellness in our community

Who would benefit from joining and sponsoring Shape Up Sugar Land?

Dr. Breuleux:

Shape Up Sugar Land supports community and worksite wellness and provides the citizens in Fort Bend County, Texas with the resources and events to make healthy lifestyle choices. The mission for the organization is “Promoting wellness, raising awareness and encouraging activities that enable healthier lifestyles for the community.”  We promote total wellness for the community including the Wellness dimensions developed by the National Wellness Institute: Emotional, Intellectual, Occupational, Physical, Social and Spiritual. 

Every allied health, wellness, and medical professional can benefit by becoming a member. We would like to recruit new professional members including physicians, chiropractors, acupuncturists, naturopaths, osteopaths, nurses, physician assistants, physical therapists, and dietitians. Health and Wellness practitioners include massage therapists, health coaches, educators, teachers, physiologists, counselors, exercise technicians, fitness and personal trainers. By promoting a cross-disciplinary approach to personal wellbeing, everyone benefits—from the City, County, schools and universities, hospitals, employees, health and fitness clubs and the YMCA.

We welcome your comments here on our blog/website

Define some of your wellness and professional goals?

Dr. Breuleux: Our wellness goals include:

Ø  Defining and promoting wellness practices and programs within the community

Ø  Promoting the integration of health, fitness and wellness programs as appropriate

Ø  Providing professional leadership and education for wellness in the community

Ø  Developing community wellness standards, education, programs and training guidelines

Ø  Developing wellness leadership and community recognition

Ø  Enhancing networking and professional development opportunities

Ø  Strengthening, supporting, and diversifying membership and community partners

Ø  Collaborating with the city and partnering with high-quality providers & organizations

Ø  Facilitating professional partnerships and coalitions to promote further wellness development, education and integration

Ø  Educate and promote total wellness dimensions of wellness from the National Wellness Institute:

ü  Emotional Wellness

ü  Intellectual Wellness

ü  Occupational Wellness

ü  Physical Wellness

ü  Social Wellness

ü  Spiritual Wellness

Why support city, worksite and employee wellness initiatives?

Dr. Breuleux: Our wellness goals and initiatives focus on education, commitment to services that help employees adopt healthier lifestyles. Wellness begins with making individual decisions that will help prevent the onset of sickness and chronic disease.  A major part of that is wellness and making changes for healthy lifestyle behaviors.  According to the World Health Organization: increased physical activity, healthy diet, stress management and avoiding tobacco can help to prevent the majority of chronic diseases, including 80% of heart disease & stroke, type 2 diabetes and 40% of cancers.

Corporate and employee wellness programs work because they reduce health risks of employees and promote wellness. I have been fortunate to work with many companies and developed hundreds of worksite wellness programs all over the world.  The common critical success factor is commitment from the “top” leadership. I believe strongly in employee health fitness and wellness for all employees and they’re families and believe we should direct resources, funds and support for wellness promotion and programs.

What inspired you to create the Medical Wellness Association?
 

Dr. Breuleux: I saw a need for medical and wellness practitioners to join forces to improve professional support, outcomes, and consumer services. Quite frankly, after years in health care leadership and administration, I was amazed at the lack of integration, communication, and knowledge of prevention and wellness with multiple medical disciplines.  Our goal is to enhance wellness and care by informing members of the professional health community about emerging practices that may have efficacy in supporting and promotion the health of families and communities.  Promoting wellness through proven outcome based programs with exercise, nutrition and lifestyle medicine serve as our primary focus.
 

Clearly, the need is to improve wellness outcomes, which then benefits everyone, from the community, citizens and individual family members. In our community there is a great need for working together to improve quality and outcome standards in our fast-paced evolving industry.  We are excited with the positive impact with Shape Up Sugar Land and the new Mayors Fitness Council.

What are the major issues facing the allied health field today?

Dr. Breuleux: Our main challenge is overcoming the bias modern living with good health habits and lifestyles. We promote “proven wellness practices,” where evidence-based practices are researched and proven programs are implemented. This myopic perspective sometimes ignores one important component of health care: the individuals or patient’s informed health decision making, including preferences, treatments and expectations.

This is not to say that every complementary or conventional approach is appropriate. However, primary practitioners and providers should not summarily dismiss a complementary health and wellness approach. Similarly, complementary or alternative practitioners should not dismiss conventional approaches. We need to be open to new health and wellness approaches, with our first goal being premum non nocere (“first do no harm”), and our second, to improve the health status and quality of life for individuals and the community at large.

Join the Wellness Conversation:

June is national employee wellness month.  We welcome your comments here on our SUSL blogs and website. You may also contact our organization by sending us an email to:

 info [at] shapeupsugarland.org

Christopher Breuleux, President of the Medical Wellness Association

www.medicalwellnessassociation.com

Special Olympics with The Arc of Fort Bend County

"Let me win. But if I cannot win, let me be brave in the attempt." This is the oath recited by Special Olympics athletes before each competition. Special Olympics is a year-round sports training program for people with an intellectual or developmental disability, from 8 years of age through adulthood.

The Arc of Fort Bend County, headquartered in Sugar Land, supports a Special Olympics delegation of 140 adult athletes who participate in aquatics, softball, volleyball, basketball, bowling, track and field, and, coming soon, bocce ball. Volunteer coaches and their assistants run the sports activities while The Arc provides financial and logistical support for practice venues, uniforms, equipment, transportation to area and statewide tournaments, and hotel and meal expenses for athletes and volunteers.

Our teams have regular practices led by trained volunteer coaches and helpers. Special Olympics and The Arc provide all training. Each sports team practices a minimum of 9 weeks prior to competing in local scrimmages and at the Gulf Coast Area tournament for their sport. Three times a year, athletes may attend a statewide competition for their sport, if there are enough coaches and volunteers for each team.

In February, our volleyball teams and bowlers compete in Austin at “Winter Games”. Basketball teams and track and field athletes compete at “Summer Games” in Arlington over Memorial Day weekend. “Fall Classic” State Games for softball are played in College Station in October. The 2010 aquatics statewide competition will be in Pearland for the first time.

Because Special Olympics is a volunteer-based organization, The Arc delegation is always in need of volunteer coaches so that all athletes who want to train and compete will be able to participate. If you are interested in coaching, contact Margo Pasko at The Arc of Fort Bend County: mapasko@arcoffortbend.org or 281-494-5928. We’d love to have you join our team!

Brazos Bend State Park: A Treasure in Our Own Backyard

Brazos Bend State Park is a 5,000-acre treasure in our backyard on the southeast border of Fort Bend County.  The plethora of activities include camping, picnicking, hiking, biking, equestrian, and fishing.  The park website is:  http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/spdest/findadest/parks/brazos_bend/

However, heed the warnings to pay due respect to alligators, which are numerous in some areas of the park. Often sunning themselves on bike and hiking trails, they are completely disinterested in humans. However, dogs seem to be a delicacy; so, leave Fido at home.  

Children, of all ages, are encouraged to to take advantage of the at least three free interpretive programs and hikes that are offered every weekend.

For smaller children are air condition seekers, there the Nature Center is open Monday - Friday from 11 a.m - 3 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 9 a.m to 5 p.m. and displays a "hands-on" alligator discovery area, a tactile model of the park, freshwater aquarium, live native snake species, a touch table and an open-captioned orientation video for all visitors including those with hearing impairments.

The crowning jewel of Brazos Bend Park is The George Observatory that is located in the park and is open Saturdays from 3 p.m. to 10 p.m.  For information on stargazing programs/passes and other programs, call the Observatory at 979/553-3400 or at 281/242-3055 (as a satellite of the Houston Museum of Natural Science) or visit the George Observatory web site.

Karen Naumann, APR