Hello again!

Chapter 4 of Corey and Corey (2008) is an extremely important topic to me.  I feel like the topic of wellness is something that more and more Americans are starting to pay attention to, which I believe is a good thing.  When you look at our nation over the past 100 years, so much has changed in terms of our lifestyles and our diet.  This is apparent when you take a look at the statistics of our nation’s number one killer – heart disease.  I believe that there are many things that contribute to heart disease being the number one cause of death in America.  Americans are hard working people who work long hours.  When most get home it may seem to be more appealing to lay on the coach then to hit the gym or weight room.  Also, foods that are high in cholesterol, saturated, and trans fat are cheaper than ever, quick to get, and easy to obtain.  It is a lot easier and quicker to order a drive through dinner than to go home and cook a healthy one.  As you can see, wellness is not the easiest thing for Americans to maintain.

Recently, I have made the decision that I was going to get into the best shape that I have ever been in.  Being a collegiate athlete, I was used to having a regimented workout schedule, but since I have graduated, I didn’t really workout and eat like I should have.  Over thanksgiving break, my sister came home from college and was dead honest with me – I needed to get back into shape.  So every day I have been working out (except Tuesdays of course) in the gym or doing some sort of cardio.  My sister has been extremely helpful in reminding me that things like this “don’t happen overnight.”  It is so easy to give up and stop working out, but she constantly tells me to keep on pushing.  Hard work will pay off in the end, and I need to be patient with myself.  I have been on this schedule for about 3 months, and I have been seeing tremendous results.  My attitude has gotten better and I feel great.  I also feel like the Khong (2007) article and chapter four go hand in hand with each other.  I think that exercise really helps to center myself.  Exercise is a stress reliever and makes you feel good for yourself – and gives you confidence, which I believe is so extremely important in being a teacher and a counselor.  I believe that exercise is a great way to clear our minds and find peace with ourselves and is something that we all need to start to pay attention to.

Bryan Stovall

Corey, G. & Corey, M. S. (2010). Your Body and Wellness. In Brooks/Cole (9^th edition), I Never Knew I Had a Choice (106-131). Belmont, CA: Brooks/Cole, Cengage Learning.

Luan Khong, B.S. (2007). The Buddha's influence in the therapy room. Hakomi Forum, 18, 11-18.