Emily Hoffman, JRMC Exercise Physiologist
At each doctor visit we are measured for height, weight, heart rate, blood pressure, respiratory rate, and body temperature as these are important indicators for current health status. We are not usually questioned about our participation in physical activity, or our regular exercise routine. A research hot topic is that physical activity is our next vital sign as it is another strong indicator of current health status.
The new vital sign has already been added to routine visits at several major healthcare systems in the United States. The National Physical Activity Plan and the Exercise is Medicine initiative are strong supporters of the new healthcare vital sign. The physical activity vital sign, sometimes referred to as PAVS, would ask two questions:
- On average, how many days per week do you engage in moderate or greater physical activity (like a brisk walk) lasting at least 10 minutes?
- On those days, how many minutes did you engage in physical activity at this level?
The answers provided would be multiplied to calculate your average minutes per week spent in physical activity. More time spent exercising equates to more health benefit. Some is, of course, better than none; however, every individual should accumulate at least 150 minutes of moderate physical activity every week. Greatest benefit is gained with 300 weekly minutes of moderate or greater physical activity. Examples of moderate exercise include brisk walking greater than 3mph, doubles tennis, push mowing, biking 10mph, or water aerobics.
| Activity | Status | Benefit |
| 0 minutes | Inactive | None |
| Less than 150 minutes | Low activity | Some |
| 150 – 300 minutes | Medium activity | Substantial |
| 300 + minutes | High activity | More than Substantial |
How is your new vital sign measuring up? New Year, New You is an excellent opportunity to strive toward the substantial benefit category. Continuation and maintenance of this level of physical activity earns you the greatest health status reward.
Our stress management technique to explore this week is called affirmations. An affirmation is a statement repeated or frequently written with the intent of self-improvement or changing a negative situation. They bring about positive thinking, self-love, and self-empowerment. Affirmations follow the belief that when we are focused on the positive, we attract more positivity into our lives. There is an affirmation for every difficult situation, or you can write your own. An effective affirmation should be in the present tense, positive, personal and specific. View the weekly video for examples and to try it out.
Week Six Bonus Instructions:
Watch and participate in this video to earn 10 points. You may practice this technique as often as you would like. You may also search for additional affirmation videos to find one that fits well for you. However, the point earning caps at 10 bonus points for this week.
Hope you are enjoying the journey to improved health and well-being!