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Lisa Diehl

My stress level at all-time low!

“My Doctor issued a strong wake-up call to me:  he confirmed that I had developed some serious health problems and that I had to begin taking better care of myself.  He said that adopting a healthy diet was a good start – but it would not be enough; he emphasized that regular physical activity was the key to better health.  The HealthTrails Challenge was (and still is!) a perfect fit for me! It allows me the freedom to choose how I exercise and how I make positive lifestyle changes.   I have participated in every single challenge including forming teams of co-workers -- and I will continue to participate in future HealthTrails Challenges.  Recently, I walked 600+ miles in three months!  I am off all my medications, my stress level is at an all-time low, and I have more energy now than ever before.  I have never considered myself to be a person with will-power when it comes to diet and exercise – so, if I can do it, anyone can!

Dahlonega Campus

Mallory Rodriguez

 

Motivated by opportunity!

“As a relatively new member of the Â鶹´«Ã½ community, I was excited to learn about the HealthTrails Challenge.   The challenge offered many reasons to participate – including the subsidy to purchase a Fitbit fitness tracker.  About that same time, I found out that I was expecting our first child and I became even more motivated by the opportunity to make healthy choices for myself and my baby.  In the beginning, I was surprised to learn that I really wasn’t as active as I thought I was; the number of steps I took each day was lower than I expected.  But, I didn’t give up.  I remember the first day I achieved the 10,000 step goal – my Fitbit vibrated and congratulated me!  And, now that I am a new mom, I decided to continue my journey to good health and fitness by joining the Rec Center – and I work out when I can.  The HealthTrails Challenge provided a great foundation for me!”

Dahlonega Campus

Robert Scott

Improved My Time!

Although I was a runner before, I found that the HealthTrails Challenge was a great initiative.  The challenge motivated me to run farther and to achieve an even higher level of fitness.  I was able to improve my time (by 15 minutes!) when I ran a half-marathon in October.  My main kind of exercise has been trail jogging -- which is a terrific way to experience the beauty of nature around our Blue Ridge Campus.  In addition to trail jogging, I have had an opportunity to form a new “Sustainability Club” with another Â鶹´«Ã½ professor and several students.  The club helps create an awareness of our environment, promotes conservation of natural resources, and enables us to stay connected to nature through our group hikes.  I would highly recommend participating in the HealthTrails Challenge – it definitely promotes good health and improved fitness!

Blue Ridge Campus

Donna Foster

Has been a blessing for me!

“During my recovery from a serious injury, my doctor repeatedly emphasized the importance of taking care of myself.  He felt that my condition would improve by walking on a regular basis.  I was tickled to death to learn about the HealthTrails Challenge – a wonderful program that encourages and promotes good health and fitness through walking.  I am so grateful for the opportunity to participate in the HealthTrails Challenge.  And, I am happy to say that I now walk 20-25 miles per week AND that I have experienced almost a full recovery from my injury.  HealthTrails has been a blessing for me!

Gainesville Campus

Danny Teater

I have more energy!

The HealthTrails System-Wide Challenge is a really cool thing!  It helps people by promoting a healthy lifestyle AND it encourages us to have fun through a little friendly competition between co-workers and institutions.  When I signed up for the challenge, my daily goal was to walk 5,000 steps….after a while, I found I was walking 10,000 steps per shift; now, I walk 60,000+ steps per week.   My new, more active lifestyle has helped me to control my triglycerides level and gives me more energy than I have had in a long time.  In fact, I feel guilty if I don’t walk enough each day!

Dahlonega campus