By Pamela A. Keene
Fitness and a wellness lifestyle pervade chiropractic. Many chiropractors promote
wellness on a variety of levels in their practices. Now the idea is taking hold
in a new program at Life University, championed by the organization’s
Bill Jarr, vice president of operations and finance at the Marietta, Ga., institution.
“We realized that to be effective in teaching total health and promoting
the body’s ability to heal, we needed to walk the talk,” says Jarr,
who began a commitment to his own healthy lifestyle about 15 months ago. “It’s
not that I wasn’t already participating in some form of fitness; it’s
just that now I’m at a different level of intensity. I’m the only
one in control of my own health and fitness, so I made the conscious choice
to start living a more healthy lifestyle.”
For Jarr, the payoff means renewed energy and a keen sense of awareness that
had somehow been diminished over time. “I’m much more in the game
today, with more energy than I’ve had in a long time. Making healthy choices,
exercising and living the lifestyle we promote just makes sense.”
Partly as a result of Jarr’s commitment, the wellness philosophy is no
longer just a textbook concept. Students, faculty and staff are “walking
the talk” as well, thanks to the university’s new initiative, which
officially rolled out at the start of the year.
“Chiropractic is a way of life and a way of thinking,” says Hussein
Elsangak, M.D., D.C. and a member of the Life University faculty. He also specializes
in anti-aging science. “We believe in the incredible power to heal that
each of us possesses.”
Putting a healthy lifestyle into practice punctuates the teachings at Life.
“It’s not consistent with our philosophy if we’re not setting
the example,” Jarr says.
Making Choices
The wellness program at Life began in small steps, first offering access to
certified personal trainers at a cost-effective rate. During the phase-in process,
other programs have been added to help make a difference in the philosophy and
implementation of a healthy lifestyle.
“As we looked around the campus, we asked ourselves what actions would
make Life different,” Jarr says. “We kept coming back to living
what we teach, asking the people here to lead by example. But we knew it might
be a challenge and we can’t grind people into making healthy decisions,
so we’ve begun to make it easier for them.”
For instance, the nutrition department has worked with the campus cafeteria
to offer a wellness-based menu and a salad bar. Smoking cessation classes are
available. Students, faculty, staff and their families can receive fitness coaching
with a personal trainer at a heavily discounted cost.
“We are trying to make it easier for people to maintain a healthy lifestyle—eating
the right foods and exercising,” Jarr says. “Being fit is a choice.
I’m not saying that everyone has to be an elite athlete, but we’re
striving to create a dramatically different environment here where everyone
is aware and engaged. When you’re physically and mentally at your best,
you can really be in the game. That’s what we’re shooting for, to
get everyone in the game.”
Making a Commitment
Being committed means sincere buy-in and discipline. As the saying goes, if
it were easy, everyone would be doing it.
Take weight loss, for example. For some people, losing weight is the easy part;
the commitment to keep it off is the challenge.
“According to the National Registry on Weight Loss, different people lose
weight in different ways, but there’s one thing that’s fairly uniform
in their findings,” says Amanda Timberlake, MS, RD, in the Nutrition Department
at Life University. “Keeping the weight off is where most people fail.
And that’s what takes the commitment.”
Timberlake says that including exercise in a wellness program is just as important
as eating right. “Most people need 60 minutes of exercise per day, but
it doesn’t all need to be done at one time.”
She suggests 15 minutes in the morning, 30 minutes around lunchtime and 15 minutes
in the evening. “Yes, it’s a major commitment, but the payoff is
worth it,” says Timberlake.
Setting Forth a Plan
Part of succeeding in a lifestyle change is creating a plan. At Life University,
the plan includes creating ways to help people make positive choices and maintain
their commitments to change. By offering more choices for healthy eating and
providing access to fitness and personal training, Life is continuing to plan
ways for everyone to be successful.
Years of study has unearthed the mechanics of change. Two of the most popular
theories are Kaizen and Transformational change.
“Kaizen is baby steps, an incremental process,” says Cynthia Boyd,
D.C., “doing one small thing each day.” If you’re going to
start a walking program, you might start out with a 10-minute walk each day
for a week, then add five more minutes the next week, and so on. This theory
works well for many people, especially if they aren’t sure of their fitness
level. It provides the opportunity to build up to the optimum plan without risk
of injury or failure.
“Transformational change is more sweeping and broad,” she says.
Different people respond to change processes differently. The program at Life
is being implemented by a combination of these, offering people choices they
make for themselves and providing the facilities to embrace those changes.
No matter what the method, making changes also means accepting personal responsibility
and mapping out a way to get there.
“As we age, we tend to take balance and a sense of awareness for granted,”
Jarr says. “For me, now it’s a process of continual re-learning,
being tuned in and staying engaged. It’s not always easy; having a plan
helps us get there.”
Making It Stick
Jarr and Elsangak work their plans to live wellness lifestyles, but they don’t
do it on their own. They meet a couple of days a week for their workouts. Jarr
and his wife Sheila also work out together.
“There’s something about agreeing to meet someone and work out together,”
Jarr says. “The idea is that you have to meet someone every morning, and
there’s nothing wrong with that. Frankly, I need that crutch and the competition.”
Life University’s wellness initiatives put the institution’s world-class
athletic facilities to good use and they provide opportunities for employees
and students to interact in a social setting. Personal training sessions are
offered for individuals and small groups.
“Group exercise promotes accountability,” Jarr says. “And
maintaining a consistent program is easier if you know that others are depending
on your participation.”
Another form of accountability is more personal. Schedule time for yourself
and stick with it. Work your other obligations around your exercise routine
and realize that the payoff won’t come unless you stick with your plan.
The Sweet Payoff
“Life University is a health- and wellness-based institution and we want
to make available practical and convenient programs so that we reflect the healthy
lifestyle that we espouse,” Jarr says. “Three years from now, we
want people—visitors, prospective students, anyone who visits our campus—to
say ‘There’s something different there. What’s going on at
that place?’ because the bulk of our community is fully engaged and in
the game.”
However, embracing these changes and agreeing to live a wellness lifestyle isn’t
just about the Life University community and its perception or reality. The
vision includes going beyond the edges of the campus to make a difference in
every aspect of life.
“This is still about personal choice,” Jarr says. “If you’re
engaged more, and more aware, it carries over into most aspects of life—your
family, your work and your personal time. I would like for people who choose
to live this lifestyle to realize that it will help them be the best they can
be.”
Chiropractic is like that, too. Chiropractors seek the best for their patients
and guide them in good health and wellness practices.
“As faculty, staff and students, we have to be the effective role models,”
he says. “How can we be congruent with what the organization represents
and have integrity if we’re not walking the talk?”
Six Steps Toward Fitness
Going out and buying shoes and a workout outfit without answering these questions
will only lead you down a less than productive path with no clear method of
measuring your progress.
Tips to making your exercise program successful:
—By John Downes, D.C.