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Show ai Teachers Work On Bodies FARMINGTON -- Most teachers have developed de-veloped strong, steady voices to carry them through a five, six or seven period day. "BUT, LIKE so many of the rest of us, the rest of their bodies don't often get the exercise needed to keep those bones limber and muscles mus-cles toned. In the end, that can mean attacking each day sluggishly, to say the least down to where the mind might not be as alert as it could be, pricked by exercise. Several hundred Davis County teachers and other school employees are doing something positive about that-they're enrolled in the Healthy Lifestyles program that has them bending and stretching, eating more sensibly as they more closely watch their weight and learning ways to better cope with mental stress. AS EXPLAINED by Dee Burningham, Davis Education Assoc. executive secretary, the program, now in its second session that began late last month, has hundreds attending exercise, exer-cise, weight control, fitness stress management manage-ment and a host of other classes on a regular basis in schools scattered across the county. It's all part of a district-teachers' association goal to help trim those pounds for hoped-for greater personal efficiency while cutting back on the insurance bills that tend to lead to ever-higher ever-higher premiums. PARTICIPANTS first put themselves through a grueling 4'2-hour session of a " stress test" where they're asked to run, walk and perform other physical activities while monitoring moni-toring devices record results for evaluation that can be used to determine what level of exercise is optimum. In addition, eating, sleeping sleep-ing and other regular habits are recorded on paper and compared with actual age and other factors to find the so-called "ideal,' age and program for each participant. More than 700 went through that test with hundreds signing up for that first session of classes that began after Christmas. Many of those have returned, joining others, for the second session. MANY OTHERS followed suggestions formulated for-mulated in the county health department prepared pre-pared health appraisal on their own, without taking formal classes. Mr. Bumingham says people are looking at the program "as a great opportunity to improve people's health. There are obvious advantages to everybody and lower low-er medical coss are quite apparent. A sampling of classes includes exercise fitness fit-ness workshops of supervised and directed exercise ex-ercise held three times a week. The first course includes warm-up exercises, walking, jogging, weight-lifting and sports activities best suited to the individual's needs while the second course includes warm-up and aerobic dance. STRESS MANAGEMENT includes two parts, with the first segment emphasizing development de-velopment of cognitive skills for managing stress such as time management and problem solving while the second portion explores relaxation re-laxation response through progressive relaxation relaxa-tion and meditation techniques. A third class is designed to develop personal asscrtivencss to reduce the effects of interpersonal stress. Weight control classes follow the Utah Heart Assoc. 's "Slim for Life" of a behavior modification diet and exercise program includ- ing classroom instruction and individual exercise exer-cise out of class. The second half features supervised su-pervised exercise and exercise instruction. SPEAKING OF those involved in that first session, Mr. Burningham said "it appears 75 percent will meet their weight goals and will have begun some sort of systematic program" that often includes running. Assertiveness-stress management classes are taught in conjunction with Davis County mental health while many of the instructors are teachers who've taken similar classes or wanted to get involved. NOTING A survey w ill be used to assess feelings of participants, asking what changes have been made in lifestyles, he said medical costs have already been impacted in some cases. "Most won't show major medical cost reductions for years but the preliminary report from the insurance company indicates they may be finding some demonstrated decrease in insurance claims this year. "This program is just one of many things the DEA is working on to reduce medical care costs. We've initiated a pre-determination clearance before they go to the hospital" in hand w ith the insurance company for elective surgery and includes advise on whether a ' second medical opinion is advisable before acting, Mr. Burningham explained. THE NORMAL length of stay for such a procedure is checked vs. average cost with encouragement for people to check out of the hospital as soon as possible. In maternity cases, that could mean a "small payment" back to those patients who stay two days rather than the usual three, he added. |
