HealthTrails Success Stories

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 UNG 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 UNG 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