Your Personal Wellness Profile: The Relaxation Response

My Goal:

You’ll leave feeling better than when you came

Know Your Numbers (page 13 of your Personal Wellness Profile)

• Body Mass Index (BMI):

• Calculation based on height and weight: wt.(kg) ÷ ht.(m2)

• Doesn’t account for gender, muscle mass, or frame size

• As BMI , health risks

• Waist Circumference (WC):

• Goal for Men: ≤40 inches, (ideal <37 inches)

• Goal for Women: ≤35 inches, (ideal <33 inches)

Body Measurements & Health Risk

Weight Category BMIUnderweight <18.5Healthy Weight 18.5 – 24.9Overweight 25.0 – 29.9Obesity (class I) 30.0 – 34.9Obesity (class II) 35.0 – 39.9Obesity (class III) ≥40.0

Source: Archives of Internal Medicine. 1998; 158: 1855-67.

Percent Body Fat: WomenAge

% BF Category

20 - 29 y.

30 – 39 y.

40 - 49 y.

50 – 59 y.

60 – 69 y.

70 – 79 y.

Very Lean 9.8 - 16.5

11.0 - 17.4

12.6 - 19.8

14.6 - 22.5

13.9 - 23.2

14.6 - 24.0

Good16.6 - 19.4

17.5 - 20.8

19.9 - 23.8

22.6 - 27.0

23.3 - 27.9

24.1 - 28.6

Average19.5 - 22.7

20.9 - 24.6

23.9 - 27.6

27.1 - 30.4

28.0 - 31.3

28.7 - 31.8

High22.8 - 27.1

24.7 - 29.1

27.7 - 31.9

30.5 - 34.5

31.4 - 35.4

31.9 - 36.0

Obese >27.1 >29.1 >31.9 >34.5 >35.4 >36

Note: minimal recommend percent body fat is defined as 10-12% for women. Source: American College of Sports Medicine: Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th Edition, 2010.

Percent Body Fat: MenAge

% BF Category

20 – 29 y.

30 – 39 y.

40 – 49 y.

50 – 59 y.

60 – 69 y.

70 – 79 y.

Very Lean 4.2 - 10.57.0 - 14.5 9.2 - 17.4

10.9 - 19.1

11.5 - 19.7

13.6 - 20.4

Good10.6 - 14.8

14.6 - 18.2

17.5 - 20.6

19.2 - 22.1

19.8 - 22.6

20.5 - 23.1

Average14.9 - 18.6

18.3 - 21.3

20.7 – 23.4

22.2 - 24.6

22.7 - 25.2

23.2 - 24.8

High18.7 - 23.1

21.4 - 24.9

23.5 - 26.6

24.7 - 27.8

25.3 - 28.4

24.9 - 27.6

Obese >23.1 >24.9 >26.6 >27.8 >28.4 >27.6

Note: minimal recommend percent body fat is defined as 5% for men. Source: American College of Sports Medicine: Guidelines for Exercise Testing and Prescription, 8th Edition, 2010.

Blood Pressure & Hypertension (HTN)

BP Category

Systolic BP

(mmHg)

Diastolic BP

(mmHg)Normal < 120 and < 80Pre-hypertensive

120-139 or 80-89

Stage 1 HTN 140-159 or 90-99Stage 2 HTN ≥ 160 or ≥ 100

Cholesterol: Total, “Good” HDL and “Bad” LDL

CategoryTotal Cholesterol

Desirable <200 mg/dLBorderline high

200-239 mg/dL

High ≥240 mg/dLCategory HDL Cholesterol

Low (at risk) < 40 mg/dLHigh (protective)

≥ 60 mg/dL

Category LDL Cholesterol

Optimal

< 100 mg/dL (< 70 mg/dL for people with heart disease)

Near optimal 100-129 mg/dLBorderline high

130-159 mg/dL

High 160-189 mg/dLVery high 190 mg/dLHDL = high-density lipoproteinLDL = low-density lipoprotein

Source: National Cholesterol Education Guidelines III, ATP III

Triglycerides

Triglyceride Category

Triglyceride Level

Normal < 150 mg/dLBorderline high 150-199 mg/dLHigh 200-499 mg/dLVery high ≥ 500 mg/dL

Source: National Cholesterol Education Guidelines III, ATP III

Blood Sugar (Fasting Glucose) &Hemoglobin A1C (HbA1C)

MeasurementCategory Fasting

GlucoseHbA1C

Normal <100 mg/dL < 5.7%Pre-Diabetes

100 - 125 mg/dL

5.7% - 6.4%

Diabetes ≥126 mg/dL ≥6.5%Note: Impaired fasting glucose should be confirmed by testing on at least two separate occasions.

Source: American Diabetes Association. www.diabetes.org

For more Information:

• American Heart Association: www.heart.org

• American Diabetes Association: www.diabetes.org

Appendix A: BP Guidelines Update, Special Populations

Hypertensive Individuals Age ≥60

< 150 and < 90 Treatment goal

Individuals Age <60 on who have Hypertension,

Diabetes, and/or Chronic Kidney Disease

< 140 and < 90 Treatment goal

Source: Journal of the American Medical Association. 2014;311(5):507-520.

The Relaxation Response

Definition of “stress” according to your PWP

“Feelings of tension, irritability, and anxiety often resulting in difficulty sleeping”

Eustress Distress

Personal Wellness Profile (PWP)Stress Indicators

Home

WorkFinances

Major Events

Control Over Life

Mental Outlook

Mood

Fight or Flight

A mechanism in the body that enables humans and animals to mobilize a lot of energy rapidly in order to cope with threats to survival.

Simple: Just eliminate all of the stress in your life, right?

Find balance

Turn on your Relaxation Response

• Your Relaxation Response• Essential resiliency tool

• Counteracts the fight-or-flight response & related harmful effects of stress

What do you need to elicit the RR?

1. Quiet environment

2. Focus & Visualization

• Word or sound repetition

3. A passive attitude.

• Empty all of the thoughts and distractions from your mind

4. Comfortable position

Methods

• Prayer

• Meditation

• Breathwork

Breathwork

Let’s give it a try…

1. Quiet environment: here

2. Focus: 4-7-8

3. A passive attitude: clear your mind, focus on your breath

4. Comfortable position: get comfortable

How do you feel?

For 1 month• 4 breath cycles• twice a day

After 1 month• 8 breath cycles• twice a day

Recap:

• A certain amount of stress helps us perform optimally

• Important to balance stress with relaxation

• Feeling stressed out, just breathe…• 4-7-8

Questions?