Using “ICARE” for a Healthy Journey

New Year's Resolutions:  In the quest for a healthy lifestyle, we have all made them and we have all broken them. Many people are attracted to the concept of healthier and more natural living.  The market is flooded with books touting the best way to live, eat, breathe and exercise.  It is easy to become overwhelmed by the controversy of what is best and worst for good health.

So what is the secret to beginning the journey to living a healthy lifestyle?

“ICARE”:

I ncreased
C onsciousness, becoming open to new choices for healthier living
A wareness
R ecognizing tools that are available to help make those choices
E ducation, seeking the necessary knowledge to make the healthiest choices

Using the “ICARE” acronym will help the body as a whole to begin the journey of healthy living and provide the necessary resources to continue the journey for many New Years to come.

Setting and reaching a goal requires mental, physical and soulful efforts.  If the soul is not conscious of the need for change and the mind is not aware of the knowledge to make the best decisions for change, then the body will not have the motivation or the fuel to resolve to move forward.

Education is a key to success.  Becoming educated regarding the needs of the body by consulting with a nutritionist or health care professional is of vital importance before beginning a program that includes certain foods, supplements or even diets that may be harmful to your health.  Consulting a physical therapist regarding painful joints before beginning an exercise regimen is important in preventing further injury.  A physical therapist can provide you with both the treatment to help reduce the pain and an exercise program that will help to strengthen and heal. Consulting a personal coach will help raise your consciousness about the mental changes needed for long term motivation and future success.  Reading as many resources as possible regarding your goals will serve to enhance awareness as you begin making decisions in your journey.

Begin today to CARE about yourself in a new and invigorating way.  Stop feeling the guilt of past failures.  Instead, look to the future with hope as you begin to live more consciously and aware of the choices that surround you.  Again, using the “ICARE” acronym will help to tap the resources of the body as a whole in setting and reaching goals along your journey of healthy living for many years to come.  Lorri A Lankiewicz, is a licensed Physical Therapist, Certified Athletic Trainer and Designated Personal Wellness Coach.Lorri will be completing a Doctor of Physical Therapy Degree in May of 2006 and she is near completion of a Certificate as a Natural Nutritional Consultant.  She is the owner of Balance For Wellness Physical Therapy and Wellness Center located on Route 8 South in Butler.  She can be reached by phone at 724-477-3181 or thru email on the company’s website at www.balanceforwellness.com