West Virginia Ranked 47th In Terms Of Health

Just a few days ago I noticed a post from a friend lamenting this recent finding from the United Health Foundation. According to the results of this research, we are among the most the least healthy people in our country. We dropped from 43 to 47 in the last year. We are ranked among the worst states in the country for diabetes and obesity in particular.

It’s kind of hard to turn around a stat like this, but it is totally possible.  I believe one of the biggest deterrents to improving health is that there are no shortcuts. I know of many people who look for some type of quick fix that will cure whatever ails us, but historically, I believe we turn things around by the slow process of cultivating good habits and letting go of bad habits.

As I think about my own health and level of fitness (improving, but not where I would like it to be), I have had a realization that change takes time and effort, and that’s why it is so hard. Two years ago, I went to a place called Dynamic Physical Therapy in Morgantown, and worked with a guy named Phil Cooke to improve my posture and reduce pain in my neck and shoulder. As I talked with Phil, I realized the reason my posture was so bad was because I had practiced poor posture for most of my life, and so I began efforts to strengthen muscles that I had allowed to atrophy over years and years.

For our state to improve its health, individuals need to get serious about improving our health. In my estimation, that means making some different dietary and recreational choices. It means getting outside and breathing the air and enjoying sunshine. It means playing outside and watching less TV. It means choosing to take incremental steps toward better health.

As the new year approaches, perhaps we can all set some incremental goals to achieve a healthier lifestyle. Maybe it will be eating sugary snacks a little less often, or maybe it will mean getting outside and walking for 20 minutes three times a week.

Let’s turn this statistic around! Who knows? Maybe your initiative will inspire others around you to make similar choices toward a healthier lifestyle. At the top of this post, I included a photo of my wife, my sister, and my brother-in-law. They trained t run a half marathon in Parkersburg back in 2011. Three years ago, my sister was not a runner. Now she is placing in virtually every race. Jamie, Becky, and Ray each started out slow and are now able to run for a long time and distance. I would love for West Virginia to climb into the top 40 in 2013. Let's do this!

Progress On 2012 Goals

I thought it might be helpful to go back and review my goals from earlier this year just to see how I am doing. So here’s a breakdown of how it’s been going so far.

Practice Sabbath, Solitude, Silence, and Fasting—This was once a strength for me, but I’ve allowed this discipline to slip in recent years.  I started off the year well, but have lapsed into looking at my phone late at night and early in the morning over the last three weeks. Time to start leaving it in another room again. :)

Blog More Consistently—This year, I would like to have at least 105 posts (2 per week). I’ve got some catching up to do here. :(

Exercise—I worked on lifting weights 1-3 times per week, walking at least 30 minutes each day 3-5 times per week, and I recently added cycling 30-40 minutes 5 times per week.

Lose Weight—I would like to lose at least 18 pounds during 2012. On February 6, I weighed 197 and currently I weigh 190. 11 more pounds to go!

Parkersburg Half-Marathon—I hurt myself playing basketball in February and haven’t been able to start running yet, but I am getting 30-40 minutes of cardio each day on my bike.

Steward Resources More Wisely—We are doing well, but we constantly look for ways we can be more efficient.

Get Outdoors—I’ve been outside for at least 30 minutes each day, almost every day this year. It has been FANTASTIC!!! I love being outside, breathing the air, and I’ve been able to hike in the woods a few times too.

Connect—We have been able to visit a few friends, but not as many as we would like, not as often as we would like, and not for as long as we would like. Hoping to see more friends in the coming months though!

Plant a Garden—Jamie has already started on some greens inside. I figure in the next few weeks we will work on turning over the soil for the first time.

Leave Margins—So far this year, I’ve been on the go a good bit, but we have also been able to experience some down times in the evenings. We start our days early, but we have been carving out space to be able to just do spontaneous fun stuff in the evenings.

What about you? How are you progressing toward your 2012 goals?

Stewarding Resources More Wisely In 2012

I realize it has been a little over a month since I last blogged, so I thought I'd share a shorter version of my goals for 2012 in terms of stewarding the limited resources with which I've been entrusted. It's a different way of thinking about things, but maybe there will be something about the way I've broken it down that will encourage you toward better stewardship of your resources as well.


My Body—Improving diet and exercise habits. Walking 30 min per day 3-5 times per week. Push-ups, jumping rope, and stretching 3-5times per week. Cutting intake of sugars, corn syrup, and red meat. Eating more nutrient dense foods.

My Time—Practice Sabbath. Go to bed earlier. Identify and minimize time suck activities (Email, Facebook, TV, Twitter). Take time to separate from technology (computer, phone, TV). Spend time in solitude, silence, and fasting from the hustle and bustle of life.

My Finances—Cut spending on unnecessaries—new clothing, meals out, un-needed ‘treats’.

My Energy Usage—Dry clothes using a drying rack. Turn thermostat down to 55 when leaving the house. Turn off/unplug appliances when not in use. Turn off  power supply to electronics when not in use (anything on standby is draining power).  Raise AC temperature to around 80 degrees in the summer. Turn off lights when not in use.

My 2012 Goals

After taking tome time to look over my goals from 2011, I decided to post a list of goals for 2012. I feel like there is something powerful that happens when goals go from the mind to being written down—I feel like the act makes me more committed. Studies have shown that it’s not a reality that is unique to me, so I highly recommend that you write down and share your 2012 goals with someone as well.

So here are my top ten for 2012.

Practice Sabbath, Solitude, Silence, and Fasting—This was once a strength for me, but I’ve allowed this discipline to slip in recent years.  I think part of the challenge comes from living in a world in which people are expected to be ‘always on’. As a partial remedy to this, I’ve decided to start sleeping with my phone in another room (no temptation to check/respond to emails, Facebook, or Twitter).  I believe that reintroducing these practices of Solitude, Silence, Sabbath, and Fasting will be a point of refreshment and revitalization in 2012.

Blog More Consistently—Maybe my 2011 goal of 3-5 posts per week was a bit high. Last year I had 83 blog posts. This year, I would like to have at least 105 posts (2 per week).

Exercise—I’m proud of the habit of exercise I cultivated in 2011. This year, I would like to at least walk 30 minutes per day for a minimum of 3-5 days per week. Separate from this I recently started jumping rope—it’s a fairly inexpensive and intense form of exercise I highly recommend. Again, I am hoping to work on fitness rather than fatness in 2012.

Lose Weight—Continuing to build on the successes of 2011, I would like to lose weight during 2012. My weight at this writing is 197 pounds. I would like to lose at least 18 pounds during 2012, and maintain that lighter weight.

Parkersburg Half-Marathon—It eluded me in 2011, but there is time for training for this event in August.

Steward Resources More Wisely—In 2011, Jamie and I took a few steps to lower our footprint, shrink our spending, and be more earth friendly. In 2012, we would like to continue this trend.

Get Outdoors—In a world that is becoming more and more connected to technology, it has been refreshing to spend time enjoying the great outdoors. Whether walking in Cooper’s Rock or around Lake Floyd, my goal is to get outside for at least 30 minutes a day. Hopefully that time will be tied to some of my fitness goals.

Connect—I want to continue the trend of visiting with friends both near and far. One of the best gifts I have been given in this life are the incredible friends who I have met along life’s journey. As often as I have opportunity, I would love to reach out and connect with friends. These times of connecting are a refreshment to my soul.

Plant a Garden—Of course this is a goal every year. I’d love for us to grow more of our food this year, and this time with our hands in the soil will also help us spend time outdoors.

Leave Margins—This is separate from the idea of Sabbath. I tend to stay on the go most of the time. I think it would be good to leave some ‘wiggle-room’ in my schedule, and in so doing, it will probably afford me more opportunities to connect and enjoy spontaneity in the rhythm of life.

What about you? What are your goals for 2012? What habits would you like to make or break in the coming year?