If you participated in our annual 30x30 Active Wellness Challenge – exercising for 30 minutes daily over the 30 days of June – we congratulate you, and hope you are feeling the benefits!
However you chose to participate this year, and whether you were jumpstarting or continuing your physical wellness journey, we encourage you to keep going beyond this month and make it a lifestyle.
Dr. Nel: I was on annual leave for a lot of June, and had the opportunity to be very active outdoors with my partner. We hiked, went scuba diving, and explored new places for well over 30 minutes a day. Now that I'm back in the office, I will resume my normal-life routine, i.e., walking home from work along the seawall (around 16,000 steps) plus walking my dog in Pacific Spirit Park or other places on weekends.
Richard: During June, I continued my usual routine of 10,000 steps each day, some of that on my lunch breaks along the seawall, the rest after work hours near my home with my partner. I have been working on this for ten years and find it helps me to maintain my energy, focus, and fitness. Since I started being this consistent with my physical wellness routine, I have noticed many benefits, including being 45 pounds lighter!
We are always pleased each year to hear from other First Nations people living in BC about the different activities they chose to do for our 30x30 Challenge and how these impacted their health.
Clarence Jones, a member of the Gitxsan Nation, shared
his story of transforming his life by becoming active and sober. Clarence started out by aiming for 10,000 steps a day, then increased that goal as he grew stronger. He says walking helped not only his physical wellness but also his mental health. He now shares his inspirational story with his community, particularly the youth, in hopes of helping them to be active and to make informed choices about using alcohol and other substances.
Desiree Holmes, a member of the Upper Nicola and Lheidli T'enneh First Nations, shared
her story about getting back into fitness with a focus on accountability and balance. As a busy mother of three who also works outside the home, Desiree finds the most important thing for success is to take it one day at a time, as before you know it, you've created and maintained healthy habits.
We also heard from many of you through the stories shared and mentions made on our social media platforms. The activities you chose to do this month ranged from walking and hiking with your friends or dogs to swimming to journey canoe training, cultural dancing, and more. Thank you for sharing with us and for participating in this year's 30x30 Active Wellness Challenge!
We hope you will continue the health and wellness goals you set out for yourself this month. Here are some tools to support you in your physical wellness journey:
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FNHA's Wellness Roadmap – This workbook can support you to determine your wellness goals and plan strategies for accomplishing them.
- FNHA's Health and Wellness Daily Organizer – This daily organizer is intended to support you in tracking your wellness activities for all four wellness streams: Being Active, Eating Healthy, Nurturing Spirit, and Respecting Tobacco. To order a copy, just email Resources@FNHA.ca.
- FNHA's webpage, Being Active.
- Our partner, the ISPARC, offers webinars, training and physical health education opportunities you can access by visiting the ISPARC Events Page. You can learn about the ISPARC's Indigenous RunWalk program, FitNation training and the Healthy Leader Training by visiting their Healthy Living Page.
