Success Stories
Wellness is not out of reach…
Wellness is not out of reach…
Police Division, Criminal Investigations Section, Polygraph Unit
What activities do you enjoy doing in your spare time?Beekeeping, Painting, Volleyball, Spending time with my Family
What are your favorite exercises to see in a workout?Stretching! – at the end of any class with Ayse
What is a random fact about yourself:I Love Halloween!!!
What is your go-to motivational song/music? Hailee Steinfeld – Love Myself
What is a piece of advice that you would share with a friend regarding fitness/wellness?Do the best you can do today, and tomorrow you will be able to do more.
“Improving my wellness is a priority to me because it has played an important role in strengthening my muscles so that I can move around pain free so I do not have any problems with my tasks throughout the day. Throughout my daily routine, I also make sure to snack on healthier foods including fruit and trail mix. I normally walk about 8 miles a day outside of my normal workout routine. With all this walking I use it as a time to keep a clear mind and develop a healthy body. I really enjoy when music is added to workouts because it helps relax the mind.”
Collectively they lost 123 pounds!
What is your favorite part about Health Trip?
“I love working out with my work buddies!!! It makes work fun and it makes
working out fun. We keep each other motivated and push each other to
work harder!”
“This is my first time doing fitness classes in a group setting and I enjoy it immensely. The camaraderie within this group is uplifting and l love seeing the others in the class.”
“Working out with coworkers has held me accountable for how I spend my lunch breaks (kept me away from Chipotle). And it is encouraging to know you are not the only one who was struggling with Ayse’s challenging workouts.”
“I love our group and how we motivate each other. Sometimes (and I won’t say any names) they might skip a day and go out to Chipotle but for the most part, we’re there 4-5 days a week and loving it.”
What advice would you have for others?
“You owe you! Starting is just a word!”
Finance (retired, now working part-time)
What activities do you enjoy doing in your spare time? Backgammon, spending time with my wife, grown kids, and, friends.
What are your favorite exercises to see in a workout? Tire flips and rowing
What is a random fact about yourself: My sister is the harpist for the Omaha Symphony
What is your go-to motivational song/music? I don’t know as I usually workout with a group and listen to whatever someone else brings.
What is a piece of advice that you would share with a friend regarding fitness/wellness? Just get started and do as much as you can do each workout. I have never met anyone in fitness and wellness that judges.
I started exercising at the County soon after the program began. I had never been a regular exerciser. I went because other budget office staff were going to classes. I had just finished physical therapy from a recent knee surgery and I wanted to continue strengthening my knee so I could play volleyball and/or soccer. I went to the afternoon classes that started at 4:45 pm and when the program expanded to include classes at 11:30 am, I started going to those classes as well as the afternoon classes. At some point, I joined what is now the 12:30 FitPlus group.
I have become totally committed to the program and exercising regularly. I hate to miss a day with the FitPlus group and I make time in my schedule to attend. I have made FitPlus a priority in my schedule as a full–time employee, retiree, and most recently as a person working 20 hours per week. The great part about our group is if someone is unable to attend the regular session there is almost always someone that can join you at another time. I hate to exercise on my own. However, I have reached the point where I will occasionally go to the gym on my own, which is a big step for me.
While becoming healthier and more physically fit are important parts of the fitness and wellness program there are many more benefits. When I think about the program the most important benefit for me is stress relief. Also, the many friends and acquaintances I made through the classes, FitPlus sessions, and being around the gym. I have met so many wonderful County employees that I probably would not have meet otherwise.
In closing, I have one real life example to share. When I clean my gutters, I need an extension ladder and I can definitely tell that I am stronger as juggling the ladder is much easy since I’ve been going to FitPlus.
Construction Engineer, Department of Public Utilities
What is wellness to you?
Wellness to me means taking care of your whole self. It is everything from putting good food into your body to create good energy to getting good rest every night to making sure that you are mentally and physically engaged through development and exercise.
Was there a time you felt un-well? And why?
Yes. I had a period in my life a few years ago where I was not eating particularly well and I did no physical activity. On top of that, my nightly and weekend routines involved a lot of sedentary hours along with large amounts of time in front of the television. I felt like I didn’t have any extra energy after work to cook good food, do any physical activity, or to engage my mind at all. I was just trying to make it to the next day.
What have you done in your daily life to achieve personal wellness?
My wellness journey really started at the beginning of 2016 when I took a County class entitled, ‘Wake Up! Eliminate Your Exhaustion, Expand Your Energy.’ Through that class, I learned that my energy really is determined by food intake as well as choices made through out the day. I also learned that my will power was never going to will me off of the couch and into better habits, but that I needed to develop triggers throughout my day that actually triggered choices and decisions toward a healthier life. The biggest trigger I developed is that as soon as I walk in the door at night after work, I change into work out clothes, and do a free online workout class. At first it was hard, but then I started to notice that my mood and energy levels increased. Some days, I only did a 15 minute workout, but I moved my body for 15 minutes and that was an achievement! Since then, I have joined a boot-camp class that meets three mornings a week. More recently, I have upped my cardiovascular workouts to add an additional two days per week, and I have even started losing some weight. Additionally, in the middle of 2016, I found a love and joy for cooking. Since then, I cook most weekly meals and then subsequently have been making better choices when I go out to eat as well. I still love desserts and baking. I have just learned that if I eat a salad for dinner, the brownie sundae for dessert isn’t so destructive. I have also made the choice to engage my mind more outside of work. I still watch my fair share of television, but I have begun to challenge myself in new ways with hobbies and trying to teach myself things that are interesting to me. I have begun baking sweet treats more as a fun and creative outlet. I also have been working on training my dog to not only have good manners but a few fun tricks too.
How has Henrico helped you on your wellness journey?
Henrico County, through the OLTD classes and really Shari Bennett-Speer, sparked this journey for me through ‘Wake Up! Eliminate Your Exhaustion, Expand Your Energy.’ Additionally, I took her Happiness class earlier this year which helped to reinforce some of those ideas. It has by no means been a super smooth three and a half years. Some weeks are better than others, but that is part of the beauty of a wellness journey. You can always keep going. You can never start too many times.
If you could pass along one piece of advice to people, what would it be?
Give wellness a shot. And don’t compare yourself. My parents, sister, and husband are all very serious runners. I felt like between that, the November marathon, and the Monument Avenue 10K, that I REALLY needed to be a runner. Finally, this spring, I admitted to myself and my parents, sister, and husband that I absolutely hate running. And that is Ok! So I don’t run, but I have found other ways to get myself moving through walking, swimming, biking, hiking, and boot-camp workouts. Just find something(s) that you enjoy and do them!
Assistant Director of Human Resources
What is wellness to you?
Wellness is about taking care of myself so I can take care of those around me. I need to be well and healthy so I can be there for my family, my work, my friends, my community.
Was there a time you felt un-well? And why?
Yes. In January 2005, I weighed 311 pounds and was very sedentary. I was 36 years old and although I didn’t have significant health problems, I knew it wouldn’t be long before I did. Plus, I felt unhealthy and unattractive. I have a food addiction and was overweight from a young age, although I was always very active and kept it in reasonable check through most of my life. In 1997, my husband was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s Disease and had a long battle with it, including a bone marrow transplant. He passed away in August 2004 from the disease and I realized I had stopped taking care of myself to take care of him, our two daughters and our home. I also realized that I needed to be here and healthy in order to continue to be able to take care of our daughters and our home without him.
What have you done in your daily life to achieve personal wellness?
As I said, I have a food addiction. I have learned to manage it better and it started with a contest here in the County. In January 2005, the Employee Health Services (EHS) Division of Human Resources sponsored a weight-loss contest called Fat Busters. A co-worker in my department personally asked me if I would be on her team and it changed my life. I told her that I would do it and all I would promise is that I would not weigh more at the end then I did at the beginning. It had been so long since I had been weighed and actually looked at the number. It took a lot of courage for me to go to EHS to be weighed. That is when I learned I was at 311 pounds. I am competitive, though, so I came up with a plan that I thought would work for me. I decided that I would count calories and try to stay at 1,000 calories a day. I wrote down everything. I didn’t worry about what kind of calories or how activity might impact them…I knew it had to be simple for me to stick with it so I made it simple. I learned so many things that just helped me make small changes. For instance, I am fine with mustard or mayonnaise on a sandwich or, depending on the other contents, maybe neither one. Mustard is much less caloric than mayonnaise so I just made sure I used mustard. It is amazing how many calories a condiment can add so it is just important to be intentional about each calorie. After the 12-weeks of the contest were finished, I had lost enough weight that people were starting to notice and encourage me. I decided to continue to keep a food journal and be very intentional about my eating. I also started to walk. A co-worker invited me to walk the County loop around the Western Government Center and I can remember that I could barely do it at first. She encouraged me and stuck with me and so I started walking at the Little League field when my daughters had softball practice. The walking was good for my body AND my mind as I processed so much that had happened in my life. And then, the County established the Fitness and Wellness Division of Human Resources and I really ramped up my physical activity. I started taking classes and running and began to do races and running with friends. I even did a marathon in 2010 – it was such a huge accomplishment for me. I still do some running and I regularly participate in the County’s fitness and wellness programs, challenges and events. I have built amazing friendships, an awesome support network and a time to devote to my individual wellness.
How has Henrico helped you on your wellness journey?
The County provides so many services to help employees stay well – personal and professional development opportunities, information, classes and services for stress management and for fitness, employee health services, rich benefits, financial wellness opportunities and so on. Over my 20+ year career, I have utilized them all at one time or another in one way or another. The County provides physical resources – walking trails, parks, gym, fitness equipment – for employees to use. I have supportive co-workers who encourage me every day. People share their stories and journeys and struggles and help each other. I have an AWESOME group of co-workers with whom I work out almost every day. They support and encourage me, lift me up and challenge me. I am so blessed to be employed by an organization who cares enough about me to use its resources to support my own personal wellness journey.
If you could pass along one piece of advice to people, what would it be?
It is never too late to make a change to improve your wellness. I thought I was too far gone with my weight to make a change for a long time and I absolutely wasn’t. I have maintained my weight loss for over 10 years now and it has truly become a new lifestyle for me. I am not perfect in my eating or in my exercise or in my sleep or in anything else. I am just all in with my commitment to being well. Sometimes that looks like having that piece of cake I am really craving and sometimes it means getting up from my desk to walk around and everything in between. You don’t have to give up everything or make huge changes right away. You can eliminate just one bad thing from your diet or park just a little bit further away from your office or make an appointment to see your primary care physician. If you are intentional about your decisions and accountable for your wellness, it all makes a huge difference.