March 2025

Exercise and Movement with Dan Trongone

Worksite Wellness Coordinator

The Basics of Strength Training

Exercise is very similar to nutrition. With focus on the basics and variety of these basic principles you can achieve an optimal level of strength and conditioning for your body.

Focus lifting weights utilizing basic human movements of the whole-body 2-3x/week.

1. Carry (core)

2. Squat

3. Hinge (deadlift)

4. Upper body pull

5. Upper body push

To see the human movements discussed, click here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-aIv5uAWRPo

Click Here for Movement Flyer

Variety:

Vari­ety is foun­da­tion­al to cre­at­ing an effec­tive exer­cise pro­gram. At the very least, mix­ing up your work­outs will help pre­vent bore­dom and keep you moti­vat­ed to exer­cise. Also, variety has impor­tant phys­i­o­log­i­cal ben­e­fits. Your body can adapt to a repet­i­tive exer­cise pro­gram in just four to eight weeks. This means that becom­ing stag­nant in your rou­tine can soon lead to no addi­tion­al gains, and you may even expe­ri­ence a drop-off in results.

Options:

• Increase the inten­si­ty of your work­out - Some­times, the best way to avoid a plateau in your work­out is by increas­ing the inten­si­ty of your activ­i­ty. For exam­ple, if you are lifting the same weight for the same repetitions, add 5lbs into your routine to raise the level of effort you are exerting. Remember, always keep good form and control when exercising.

• Cross-train - One of the most effective ways to avoid plateaus and reduce the risk of injury is to incorporate variety into your workouts. By mixing cardio and strength training, alternating between upper and lower body exercises, and using different equipment, you can engage your entire body while preventing excessive strain on specific muscle groups. For instance, to build endurance, you can vary your routine by incorporating activities like run­ning, bik­ing, swim­ming, using the ellip­ti­cal, the stair­mas­ter, or row­ing. This not only keeps you motivated but also ensures a full-body workout.

• Change the order of your rou­tine - You can also switch up the order in which you per­form exer­cis­es to chal­lenge your body’s adap­ta­tions and fatigue your mus­cles in dif­fer­ent patterns.

How do I get started?

• Consider utilizing any of your 5 free personal training sessions to accomplish your movement goals.

• Try out any of our group fitness classes.

One of the biggest misconceptions about nutrition is the all-or-nothing mindset. From my experience, I've found that people who focus on one specific food behavior tend to see better results.

Concentrating on one area allows individuals to engage more deeply in changing that behavior, which leads to more meaningful progress. By honing their skills in one aspect, they can eventually expand their focus to other areas that need attention.

Being successful with nutrition isn't just about sticking to a diet. It’s about building a routine that emphasizes whole foods over processed ones, consistently incorporating nutrient-dense options without feeling like it is a struggle.

In the bigger picture, good nutrition involves regularly drinking water (about 80 ounces a day), eating fruits and vegetables, practicing portion control, creating balanced meals, and ensuring variety across your overall food choices.

We invite you to join our Nutrition Bingo Challenge for March and unlock your potential to make positive changes in a fun and engaging way.

With so much mis-information on the web and social media, we invite you to check out this month's blog on "Debunking Nutrition Myths".

Behavioral Health with Claribel Gill, LAMP Counselor,

Mental Health Therapist, & Care Coordinator

Mental Health Stigma

Acknowledging your mental health and understanding the steps needed for treatment are crucial. 1 in 4 adults in the United States experience some kind of mental or emotional distress each year. By removing the stigma, we can help our coworkers, friends, family members and neighbors who may be in distress.

Mental distress is common and can result in poor sleep quality and quantity, reduce our ability to concentrate, slow our thought processes, trigger physical aches and pains, make us irritable and tearful and may prompt us to seek relief through self-medication with alcohol and drugs.

Even so, people do not seek help because they may:

• Be afraid it will adversely affect their employment
• Not want to admit that they are unwell
• Feel embarrassed due to the stigma of emotional distress and mental illness
• Feel alone

People do not speak up when they see another person in distress because they may:

• Feel apprehensive about intruding on someone's privacy
• Have the perception that it is not okay or not professional to talk about it
• Feel uncomfortable and are unsure of how to help

Here are some ways to deal with stigma:

• Get treatment - Someone may be reluctant to admit they need treatment. Don't let the fear of being labeled with a mental illness prevent you from seeking help. Treatment can provide relief by identifying what is wrong and reducing symptoms that interfere with your work and personal life.

• Do not let stigma create self-doubt and shame - Some believe that their condition is a sign of personal weakness or they should be able to control it without help. Seeking counseling and educating yourself about your condition can help you overcome destructive self-judgment.

• Confide in someone/have a support system - If you have a mental illness, you may be reluctant to tell anyone about it which can lead to feeling isolated. Reach out to the people you trust for the compassion, support, and understanding.

• You are not defined by your illness - Remember that receiving a diagnosis does not define you - instead, use it as an opportunity to learn more about yourself. When speaking about someone with a mental illness, it is best to use "person-first" language, meaning you should say "a person with a mental illness" or "someone experiencing a mental health condition".