Penny Cook—Helping others have a healthy lifestyle

Penny was just like every other teenager when it came to making choices about food and exercise.  She would consume junk food, eat unbalanced meals and exercise when it was convenient. She had always had the influence of a family member to eat right and use portion control, but her food choices might not have always been the best. 

That all changed when Penny's best friend wanted to lose weight in high school. Penny would watch her make healthier choices for lunch at school, and her friend would exercise instead of watching TV.  Following her example, Penny began incorporating healthy eating and exercise into her lifestyle.  She joined a local fitness center and began working out 3-4 times a week.  She  started to feel empowered by her actions and felt so good that it carried over into all facets of her life. 

During her junior year of college, Penny signed up to be a peer health educator because it looked like a lot of fun and would build upon her personal health foundation.  As a peer health educator, she educated college students on how to make healthier choices at meal time, how to handle the stress of classes and college life, and many other topics related to living a healthy lifestyle.  

Penny says, "The decision to become a peer health educator changed my life forever."  She decided to pursue a career that would not only lead her to a healthier life, but would also allow her to empower others.  She focused her post-graduate education on Health Promotion and Education and received a Master of Public Health degree in 2001.

Since graduating, Penny has played a key role in educating active duty military members and their dependents on how to lead a healthy lifestyle into retirement and beyond.  "Words cannot express how I feel every day," she says. "I have the honor of assisting and educating people on ways to live a healthier lifestyle and how to sustain and improve their quality of life. Most importantly. . .I love what I do!  Deciding to adopt a healthy lifestyle was one of the best choices I have ever made for myself."

Adopting a healthy lifestyle for yourself may be one of the best choices you'll ever make, so why not do it now?

Nancy Lee Zimpleman—Prepared for special times

Nancy Lee delighted in preparing for her wedding day. She had many reasons to look forward to that special day, but one source of joy was her wedding dress. She was able to find and fit into a gorgeous dress for her special day because she is physically fit.

In 2006, buying a bridal gown would have been somewhat of a chore for Nancy Lee, since she weighed 35 pounds more than she does now. At that time, she was a little older than 25 and the weight had begun to creep on. She seldom exercised and felt a little sluggish.

Realizing she needed to work on improving her level of physical fitness, Nancy Lee decided to begin exercising in 2006. She joined a gym and exercised sporadically. But, that was the only lifestyle change she made, and she soon realized that for real health improvements, her lifestyle still needed more modification.
Nancy Lee knew that to get healthy, she needed to take a different approach. Therefore, in 2007 she and a friend joined a weight-loss support group that focused on healthy eating and physical activity. By the end of that year, Nancy Lee had reduced her weight by 35 pounds. She was ecstatic!

After meeting her weight loss and physical fitness goals, Nancy Lee's new challenge was to keep the weight off and continue to feel good. She had learned that she needed a healthy diet combined with exercise to stay at an optimal level of physical fitness.

It's been a number of years since Nancy Lee began her new lifestyle journey, and she is proud of maintaining her health and being active. Nancy Lee says, "I've learned to exercise every day. I go to the gym, but I have learned that I don't have to do that every day. All I have to do is exercise. I walk the dog, work in my yard and do housework. These activities are the reason I am able to keep the weight off."

Nancy Lee's wedding day was a time of great joy and happiness. She fit perfectly into her bridal gown and had the energy for a day full of fun and festivities. If you are not exercising and making wise food choices, she advises you to start today. You never know when you may need the extra energy for one of life's most precious moments!

Robert Harden—Exercise has many benefits

Walking, jogging or running are a few of the many ways to get the aerobic physical activity you need. Aerobic activity is exercise that strengthens the cardiovascular system. It is exercise that causes the heart and lungs to work harder than when at rest. This occurs when large muscle groups are continuously used and their use is rhythmic in nature.

Health benefits of aerobic activity can accrue from walking briskly for 30 minutes a day on 5 days a week. Jogging or running 25 minutes a day, for a total of 75 minutes of vigorous-intensity aerobic activity per week, also yields health benefits. These benefits can occur even when the exercise is done in time frames of 10 minutes. You get to decide how long, when and where you get your aerobic activity.

When Robert first participated in a 5K run, he was not a runner. He did more walking than running. He joined the runners to support a fundraiser and get some exercise. He never expected the exercise to feel so good, and he never expected to lose weight. Robert stated, "I didn't start running to lose weight, just for the exercise and to support the fundraiser."

Although Robert's purpose in running was not for weight management and muscle toning, he lost weight, strengthened his muscles and felt more energized. Running became a pleasure, and shedding extra pounds was coincidental. It was such a good feeling that he wanted to continue to run.

Now, Robert "surfs the web" looking for 5K events throughout the state. With relative ease, he has found that he can participate in a run almost any weekend he chooses. Through running, he has crisscrossed South Carolina.  He says, "I enjoy running—it's great exercise and I like taking part in charity runs for good causes." Robert never expected that his first walk in a 5K run would change his life.

Life-changing events can happen when you least expect them. Follow Robert's path, and step into some form of exercise. You might like it—surely, it will be good for you. Your first step could be the step that changes your life!