Joseph C. Kvedar - Wellocracy: Move to a Great Body

Joseph C. Kvedar, MD; Carol Colman, and Justin Mager, MD

This book is sold with the understanding that the authors and publisher are not engaged in rendering medical or professional services in the book, and that the book is not intended as a substitute for the medical advice of a trained health professional. You should consult your physician before adopting the procedures in this book. The authors and publisher specifically disclaim any responsibility for any liability, loss or risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of the use and application of any of the contents of this book.

WELCOME TO WELLOCRACY

Wellocracy is a community dedicated to empowering and motivating people to simplyand effectivelytrack and manage their health and wellness in ways that were never before possible.

And at the same time that youre achieving the best health of your life, youll look and feel great too!

This transformation in self-health is fueled by the emergence of new smart tools, cutting-edge, consumer ready devices and mobile apps that allow each of us to create and implement a highly individualized health program that will deliver life-changing and life-saving results.

These game-changers include no fuss, tiny, wireless, wearable activity trackers and home health devices that can monitor your actions throughout the day, tracking how much you exercise, how long you sit, how many steps you walk, how many calories you burn, how well you cope with stress, and how well you sleep.

Combined with the right strategies, smart tools can help us nip potential problems in the bud or better manage existing problems like high blood pressure and diabetes. They can also help us stay on course for a healthier, more active lifestyleeat better, sleep better, look better and get the right amount of exercise in our daily lives.

On wellocracy.com and in our companion e-book series, we provide basic information on how to incorporate smart tools into your life,your way.Dont worry, you dont have to be a technical whiz to use these devices. If youve ever used a computer, posted pictures on Facebook, or downloaded a song onto your iPod, you wont find this to be too challenging.

Our first book, Move to a Great Body, is designed to combat the leading cause of disease and premature death in the developed world. We call it Sedentary Syndrome. By following our simple Steps-and-Bursts program, you can kick the sedentary habit in 24-hours or less.

You dont have to turn your life upside down to turn your health around. You can become slimmer, stronger, fitter and happier by making easy and incremental changes that can be incorporated into the busiest lives.

In our books, and on our site, well help you find your stickiness factor, the right motivational strategies that will inspire you to stay on-track to achieve your goals, even if you were not able to stick to a fitness program before.

Future books will cover new activity trackers, health devices and apps that can help you lose weightand keep it offbetter cope with stress, improve your sleep, rev up your sex life, boost your productivity and manage chronic conditions, like high blood pressure.

Although we share a common vision, each of the three Wellocracy founders brings different strengths to this project. Dr. Joe Kvedar is founder and director of the Center for Connected Health at Harvard Medical School and is one of the leading authorities in the world in the field of consumer health technology, and the undisputed leader in activity tracking. Dr. Kvedar wears at least three health trackers at a time and knows better than anyone how to get the most out of these new tools.

Dr. Justin Mager is a San Francisco Bay area physician who specializes in integrative medicine and is also a certified personal strength and fitness trainer. Dr. Magers patients include high-powered CEOs, exhausted stay-at-home moms, former Olympians, full time athletes and baby boomers who want to stay vital and fit.

Carol Colman has written numerous books on diet, fitness, health technology and alternative medicine. In Chapter 1, Dont Be Blindsided, she tells her story about how an unexpected diagnosis turned her into an avid tracker.

We cant do this aloneWellocracy is your community. Although well keep you informed about the latest breakthroughs in health trackers and apps, were counting on you to keep us informed as well. We invite you to share your own experiences with health tracking so that others may benefit from strategies that have worked for you. We want to hear your ideas about how to solve difficult public health problems, such as obesity and diabetes, that are spiraling out of control. With the participation of our community, we are striving to become the focal point for a new and better world where health is the norm, and illness is the exception.

The Wellocracy Team

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Just the Beginning

Wellocracy is an on-going project: Our first book installment is Move to a Great Body. It tells you everything that you need to know about activity trackers, easy-to-use devices that are the cure for our modern couch-to-car-to-desk-sedentary lifestyle. You will also find important information, resources and a robust online community to support you through this journey at wellocracy.com.

We invite you to share your experiences with self-tracking, so that others in the Wellocracy community can benefit from them.

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MOVE TO A GREAT BODY

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Getting Started

Heres a quick guide to help you navigate through this book so that you can begin to transform your health and your life right now.

Step # 1. Take the Know Thyself Quiz

How well do you know yourself? Take this quiz to find out.

Step # 2. Pick the Right Activity Tracker

Read chapter 4 and visit our website to learn which devices and apps are best for you.

Step # 3. Visit wellocracy.com

Join Wellocracys online community for more information and tips from our experts.

Step # 4. Learn About your Stickiness Factor

Take a quiz to find out what motivational style works best for you and will keep you on track.

Step # 5. Get Moving!

Check out chapter 6 to find out how to create your own unique activity boosting program that fits seamlessly into you life.

And once you begin tracking, go back and read the chapters that you may have missed for more tips and insights on how to get the most out of your experience.

CHAPTER 1

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Dont Be Blindsided!

By Carol Colman

I am passionate about preventive health. I not only have co-written more than two dozen books about diet, fitness and anti-aging, with some of the worlds top experts, but I practice what I preach. I watch my weight, dont smoke, exercise regularly, and live an all-around healthy lifestyle. I walk the talk.

So last year, at my annual physical I was stunnedabsolutely flooredto learn that my blood pressure, which had always been in the spectacularly low range, had out of the blue shot up to the point that I now required medication. Although both my parents had high blood pressure, and my mother had suffered from a severe case of hypertension and a resulting series of strokes, my blood pressure had always been perfect, and I assumed it would stay that way.

Given the fact that I had made it well into my 50s without a problem, I was pretty sure I had beaten my high blood pressure gene into submission. It would never have occurred to me that I would ever need to be concerned about high blood pressure, let alone track my blood pressure on my own.

Missing the Warning Signs

After my diagnosis, I conducted my own post-mortem to try to understand how I had gone so quickly from a perfect specimen to a bona fide hypertensive. When I thought honestly about the past year, I realized that over the last few months my lifestyle had changed abruptly, only I had been too distracted to notice.