An ounce of prevention...

One thing I love about running is the uninterrupted chance I get to have “me” time. It’s my time to reflect. I don’t get much of it anymore as my house is usually rocking with joy, laughter, play, and sometimes the chaos a two and four year old can create! So, needless to say, this is my time, my peace, quiet, and most creative time of my day.

This morning’s run brought reflections of Mark’s successes on Day One, and of course, thinking about how I can continue to help him achieve his goal. Mark mentioned yesterday that he bumped up his cardio workout to 70 minutes from his usual 30-40 minutes a day. I would be remised if I didn’t congratulate him on that accomplishment, just as I extended congratulations on his healthy food choices.

In our business, as Soldiers, physical fitness is not only encouraged, but is a mandatory part of military life. It’s a component of our profession and is as important as choosing healthy foods to eat. Add sleep to this equation, and you have a perfect triad of emphasis on healthy living. I mention this because recently, the Army’s Surgeon General launched an initiative, the Performance Triad, designed to focus on the interrelationship between activity, nutrition, and sleep in developing healthy behaviors for life. Mark is clearly on board with at least two prongs of the Triad, and perhaps he can comment later on the third.

Army Medicine is moving from a “system of healthcare to a system for health.” What this means is that we must focus more on prevention at the individual level. Prevention starts with taking accountability and responsibility for actions relating to health. Thanks, Mark, for taking prevention seriously, even if it is on only $3 a day.

Find more information on the Performance Triad here: http://armymedicine.mil/pages/home.aspx