Health & Wellness Challenges

Be Challenged

I know most people like a good challenge. That’s why people enjoy playing sports, watching sports, reading exciting books or watching cliff-hanger movies.

I am inviting you to get involved in a health, wellness or fitness challenge.

I’m not suggesting that you compete to lift your body weight or outrun the fastest runner. Instead, I’m proposing that you set a goal to become a healthier version of yourself.

• If you are a loner, you can do the “I Challenge Myself” health challenge. Put aside money each week to reward yourself.
• If you enjoy camaraderie, try a group health challenge; allow a jackpot prize for winners.
• If you prefer the spotlight, consider a national health challenge. Enter a health challenge sweepstake.

Fill in the blanks

I challenge you to turn what embarrasses you into motivation — not only to transform your own life, but also to transmute the lives of many people you meet.

"I was born to win." — Jimmy Cliff

Please enter your email to the contact page and enter the word challenge if you would like to take part in the National 12 Week Health Challenge.

Target the areas you want to change

Did you know that exercise is one way to target certain areas of your body you wish to change?

You may be dealing with something in or on your body that feels annoying or uncomfortable. What will you do about it?

• Hide the problem?
• Pretend the problem does not exist?
• Start accommodating the problem?

I recall reading a story in school about an emperor whose subjects were so afraid of him, that they couldn't tell him anything negative about himself. They knew that telling him something he did not want to hear could send them to the infamous Tower of London where they would have their heads severed from their body.

One day when the emperor decided to go out on the balcony and greet his subjects wearing no clothes, every spectator witnessed the shameful spectacle. His cabinet members could only whisper among themselves, "The emperor is naked." They dared not voice this notice of the obvious to him because of fear.

Maybe there was a psychological explanation for the emperor's behavior.

Do you have a personal emperor that does not want you to bring any health issues to their attention?

I dare you

Today I am daring you to deal with whatever area of your body or your life you want to hide.

• That zit that wants you to hide your face.
• That scar that wants you to cover up that area of your body.
• That lump that wants you to cover your neck.
• That bald spot that wants you to cover your head.
• That lump in your breast that wants to scare you.
• Those pimples that refuse to go away.
• That belly fat that refuses to budge.
• Those love handles which do not make you feel lovable.
• That turkey neck that wants to remind everyone of Thanksgiving Day.
• Those extra pounds which cause low self-esteem.
• The snoring which disturbs sleep.
• The hands which tremble without ceasing.
• Obesity that makes people think you have little self-control or that you are a greedy person.
• That incontinence that wants you to make the bathroom your favorite place to visit.

I don't know what issues you want to disappear; I just want you to get up today and do something about it. I don't mean consider it a problem that has no resolution. I mean determine that that problem must go away.

My own embarrassing moment

I remember the day I almost fainted when I looked in the double mirror at the gym and realized I had developed a bald spot. I wanted to bury myself in the ground. I bought a wig on the way home from the gym. I covered the bald spot with a wig for a few years which only made the problem worse — each time I saw the problem I got a reminder that made me feel not too good about myself. Each time I looked at the wig, it reminded me of the bald spot. Talk about a vicious cycle.

What is Every-Body Saying?

Many of the symptoms you experience are your body communicating with you. It is trying to tell you that there is something you need to pay attention to. How do you feel about the idea of your body talking to you? Do you think your body just wants to engage in chatter that serves no purpose?

Let's put some commonsense suggestions on a few issues. Before doing so, let me recount a story I once heard.

A woman went to her doctor complaining about a pain in her left knee. She asked her doctor why he thought her left knee was always paining her. The doctor told her not to worry — it was just caused by old age. She asked, "Doc, how come the old age is not affecting my right knee?" The doctor shook his head. He had no answer. He offered her some medication to relieve the pain.

Why do you think only one knee was paining this elderly woman?

Pretend you are that doctor. Let's hear how you would respond to that patient. Here are some suggestions:

• You injured your knee in a former life. You are remembering the incident, and the pain is beginning to resurface.
• You injured someone's knee in a former life, and the karma is being repaid.
• You banged your knee some time ago and the inflammation around your knee is starting to cause pain.
• The cartilage is wearing away from around that knee. It is alerting you to nutrient deficiency.
• The toxic build-up around that knee is beginning to warn you of its presence.
• Your knee is dehydrated. That knee is showing more signs of wear and tear, possibly because of genetics.
• The pain just started in that knee; it will move to the other knee if nothing is done to solve the problem.
• You are a hypochondriac, so that pain is imaginary.

Do you question your doctor as this woman did, or do you just accept a medication because you don't want to ruffle any feathers?