Physical and Mental Health

I love to African dance and have been doing so since I was in college over 25 years ago.  A lady in my church started teaching a group of us what she knew and then invited other dancers who could show us more.  From there grew a love for the dance, and now I share what I know with others.  A fun but intense workout to do is with Kukuwa fitness. I found it on YouTube and they have a site all dedicated to physical fitness with an African flare.

Fitness expert Leslie Sansone has many videos that you can use right in your home. Go to YouTube and search for "Miracle Mile" or "Leslie Sansone" to find these videos.

If you are diabetic or pre-diabetic, you may qualify for a free one-year long program from Kroger called Welsana.  The program offers lessons and helpful information on nutrition, exercise, stress management, goal setting, and other health-related topics.  Participants log their meals and track their physical activity online or by using the Welsana app. In addition to all of this, participants also receive help from a coach who will offer feedback on their meals and helpful tips along the way.  For more information visit https://www.krogerhealth.com/services/welsana,

I have an Apple Watch, and I swear by it.  It has motivated me in the past year to get up and moving. Since I am a competitive person, I try to meet my movement, exercise, and stand goals every day and get in at least 10,000 steps.  In one year, I have lost 15 pounds, and I attribute much of that to the Welsana program and my Apple Watch.  I track my activity each day in the Welsana app, but I take it a step further and track it on paper so that I can see it in front of me each day.  If you want an example of a tracker to use, here is one for exercise and one for your goals.

Mental health is just as important as physical health, yet many people never attend to it.  Some people ignore their mental health and eventually find themselves in a bad space.  Whether you need to take a mental health day from work, engage in mindfulness exercises, or seek services from a therapist, you must make your mental health a priority. Here are some sites for information on mental health:

• Mentalhealth.gov
• https://www.nimh.nih.gov
• http://www.nami.org
• betterhelp.com
• 14 Mental Health Resources for Black Parents