The first order of business for my wellness project was to create a wellness baseline.
I figured if I’m going to spend a year experimenting with wellness strategies and theories, I should measure the results.
Indeed, in the field wellness coaching, the experts encourage coaches to work with the client to take stock of the current level of wellness by looking at the different areas in your life and how satisfied your are in each area.
There are many different versions of this wellness wheel, but you get the general idea.
However, I also wanted to get a more detailed wellness baseline related to my physical body. So, I made an appointment with Lori, one of the personal trainers at the local Team Rehab.
Physical Wellness Baseline
Lori took my circumference measurements and measured my body fat using two different methodologies (skinfold calipers and electric body fat monitor). My average body fat is 26%, which is considered “health” for a woman. My body fat goal is 22%.
I also found out that I’m average in strength & flexibility (a bit of a disappointment), but excellent in the cardiovascular arena. Yay!
When I stepped on the scale this morning, it read 142 lbs. This is about 10 lbs more than I weighed 10 years ago. For now, I’m still in a healthy range. However, if that weight continues to inch up a pound every year, soon enough I won’t be.
This is one of the reasons preventative care is so important. The fact that I am spending this year focusing on how to be well for the long haul means that hopefully I won’t gain those extra pounds as I age and stay out of the hospital and off medications for a long, long time.
Another goal with the wellness project is to eliminate my stomach problems. It’s better than it’s been in the past, but there is still room for improvement. I believe it is a combination of diet and stress/anxiety. Measuring success here will be easy… No more bloating and discomfort.
General Wellness Baseline
So physical wellness is pretty easy to measure. But what about all those other spokes in the wheel? One way is obviously to do a self-assessment and indicate level of satisfaction in each area. I actually did this at a local women’s conference last fall and it was very interesting to see the bumps in my wheel.
But there are also some online options. Because of my involvement in the Blue Zones Project in Iowa, I am familiar with the “True Happiness Compass.” At the beginning of the wellness project, I went through this quick test, answering questions about everything from how much time I spend in nature to my satisfaction with my work. I ended up with a B+. Not bad, but it could be better!
The recommendations were:
- Hang out with happy people
- See the sun
I can agree these are both good suggestions!
It will be interesting to see what my score is at the end of the wellness project.
Over to You!
If you were starting a wellness project, what would you measure? Do you think there is a generic way to measure wellness?
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