March 2010

In This Issue

Two cups of coffee, one big idea

The Plan

An easy hurdle

Well on our way

Walking the walk

The big day

A Message
from NEHM

One member’s story

100 Small Steps to Becoming Healthier

In the morning rush, it can be hard to have a good breakfast. But a smoothie is easy to make, gives you 4 to 5 servings of fruit, and gives you great energy to start the day.

Very Berry Banana
Berry Fruit Smoothie

Have you or your congregation made a healthy change?

Email member stories and recipes to wellness@cpg.org
They could be published in an upcoming issue.

March is National Colorectal Cancer Awareness Month.

Screenings saves lives. If men and women were screened regularly beginning at age 50, as many as 60% of deaths from this form of cancer could be avoided.1

Exercise and a healthy weight may also decrease the risk.

Taking Steps to Make a Difference — The Well to Serve 5K Challenge

In this edition of Health & Wellness News, the Episcopal Church Medical Trust staff members would like to share what we’ve been doing as a part of the “Small Change, Big Difference” campaign.

As we’ve been saying, when it comes to personal growth, it’s important to have a goal that you feel you can achieve, and to pursue that goal with the support of a group when possible. That’s why we decided to start a department-wide walking program and, as a team, enter a 5 Kilometer (5K) walk/run (#63 and #94 on the list of 100 small steps).

Two cups of coffee, one big idea

How did we end up entering a 5K walk/run? The idea came over morning coffee. Usually it’s the caffeine that gets us going, but that morning, two staff members came up with a different way to get our department moving. We’d start a walking program, they said, and when everyone was good and ready, we’d enter a 5K event. As 5 kilometers is equal to 3.1 miles, everyone felt that this was an attainable goal.

The Plan

The next step was to enroll in a 5K event in the New York City area that would be promoting a cause we all felt good about supporting. We would create a walking schedule so that we could properly train, discuss nutrition and injury prevention, and share training tips and experiences from which others could benefit.

An easy hurdle

Now that we had a plan, we needed approval from senior management. Of course, the Medical Trust managers were immediately on board with our wellness initiative — so much so, in fact, that they decided to participate.

Here at the Medical Trust, we strongly promote the importance of health and wellness for our members through a variety of communications including this newsletter. But staff and management believed it was just as important to raise awareness internally, and that a 5K walk/run would be an excellent way to engage the rest of the Medical Trust staff in striving for a healthier lifestyle.

Well on our way

On February 2, we held a Well to Serve 5K kick-off meeting to gather all interested parties, brief them about the goals for the program, and answer any questions. We distributed invitations to Medical Trust staff ahead of the event and thought that maybe ten people would show up. To our happy surprise, 28 of the 36 Medical Trust employees attended. It was a great success.


Walking the walk

Now, not only is the Medical Trust team talking the talk, we’re already walking the walk. We’ve begun to meet inside every week to cross-train by doing band-workouts and stretching. As the weather gets warmer, we'll train outside by walking or running around Bryant Park, which is close to our office.

Each participant already has a pedometer to track his or her steps. We'll tally the total steps taken and track our progress on a US map, so that after the 5K, we’ll see how far we’ve walked as a team. In upcoming editions of Health & Wellness News, we will share our progress with you and pass along what we've learned about fitness.


The big day

On Sunday, May 16, we'll be participating in the New York City Police Department’s Ninth Annual 5K Memorial Run/Walk, which honors the 700-plus New York police officers killed in the line of duty.

Tell us what you think about our 5K challenge. Is your congregation, diocese, or office doing something similar? Let us know and help us inspire others.

A message from National Episcopal Health Ministries (NEHM)

Get your congregation moving — a free Walking to Jerusalem program
Have you ever considered walking to Jerusalem for Easter? Oh sure, it sounds difficult considering the distance and not being able to breathe underwater, but it’s possible. To get your congregation moving, we offer a free Walking To Jerusalem program (or to anywhere else).

One member’s story

For some time, I had pain in my left hip area. It got so bad that I had it x-rayed, and was even considering surgery. However, the doctor who reviewed my x-ray said that my hip was fine. In fact, to my surprise, it was not what was causing the pain.

He sent me for physical therapy — a treatment in which I had little faith. Like my doctor, the physical therapist told me my hip was not causing the pain; it was the muscles in my back. And after six sessions of physical therapy, I felt wonderful. But shortly after, the pain returned...