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Free YMCA Wellness Events
To help improve the nation's health and wellness and in support of AmericaOn the Move Week with the YMCA, Amway Global and YMCA of the USA are hostingfree wellness events at YMCAs across the country on Sept. 20, 2008. The eventsare free to the public. Individuals who are looking for personalized wellnessadvice can visit http://www.inspirewellness.com and take the Stanford Healthand Lifestyle Assessment, print the summary report and bring it to a localYMCA wellness event to talk with a health and wellness professional aboutpersonal goals. Go to http://www.inspirewellness.com for a list ofparticipating YMCAs in Maine.
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Maine Wellness Challenges:
Exercise
The survey shows that 16 percent of Maine residents, versus 23 percentnationally, are not exercising for at least 30 minutes or more at a time on aregular basis. While better than the national average, that's well under theCenters for Disease Control (CDC) recommendation of a minimum of 30 minutes ofmoderate-intensity physical activity per day or a minimum of 20 minutes ofvigorous-intensity physical activity three days a week. When it comes to thework commute, 90 percent of Maine residents drive. However, when they doexercise, the focus is on general wellness (42 percent), cardiovascularendurance (22 percent) and weight loss (15 percent).
The Economy, Election and Wellness
More than half (51 percent) of Mainers, versus 42 percent of Americans,report that the economy is having a negative impact on their wellness choices.For the nation, current economic conditions also are negatively affecting thewellness of 51 percent of non-working parents versus 43 percent of workingparents. And, when it comes to the battle of the sexes, the health of women isaffected more by the economy (44 percent) than men (40 percent). Overall,26 percent of Mainers and 33 percent of Americans claim that the candidates'positions on personal wellness will influence how they vote this election.
Stress
Thirty-nine percent of Mainers report having a "very" or "somewhat" highstress level, according to the Amway Global Wellness Index. Forty-six percentof Maine residents find that talking to family and friends is a highlyeffective way of coping with their stress. Increasing physical activity(43 percent) and sleep (31 percent) also top the list, while 18 percent turnto food for comfort and 13 percent practice yoga. Only 10 percent of residentsdecrease the time they spend using technology gadgets to reduce stress.
Sleep
While 38 percent of Maine residents report that not getting enoughexercise is one of the biggest wellness challenges, an even higher percentage(40 percent) report that getting enough sleep is a major challenge. Only9 percent of Mainers judge their current state of wellness by the amount ofsleep they get.
Weight
Forty-five percent of Maine residents consider themselves obese oroverweight, yet only 19 percent of Maine survey respondents gauge their stateof wellness by their current weight.
About the Amway Global Wellness Index
The Amway Global Wellness Index is a national survey of 15,035 Americanadults ages 18 and older to uncover American views toward the concept ofwellness and individual, family and community wellness. Commissioned by AmwayGlobal, the study has an estimated margin
