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Archive for the ‘Get Fit’ Category

Scavenger Hunt, Day 7 – Amgen Tour of California

Posted on May 22nd, 2010 by Lisa P.

Today is the seventh day (ONE day left!) of the VSP Vision Care / Transitions Scavenger Hunt for the Amgen Tour of California. In honor of all the riders who worked so hard to make it this far, we thought the seventh clue should be about wellness. So instead of taking photos of all the hard working riders, take one of you, your friends and/or family enjoying the outdoors on this beautiful Saturday and share them with us on our Facebook and Twitter channels. Be sure to send us a message or tag VSP Vision Care so we don’t miss your posts. Riding Bike

So for your 7th “clue” – post a photo of your outdoor adventures, and you’ll be entered to win a signed Team Type 1 or Garmin Transitions jersey!

Follow us on Twitter and become friends with us on Facebook to make sure you don’t miss any of the fun giveaways this week!

Scavenger Hunt – List of clues, to date.

File under: Contests, Fun, Get Fit, Team Type 1 | Tagged: Amgen Tour of California, contest, fitness, Garmin Transitions, giveaway, pro cycling, scavenger hunt, Team Type 1, VSP, VSP Vision Care, wellness
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Steve Holcomb wins Olympic gold just one year after eye surgery restored sight

Posted on February 27th, 2010 by Liz B.

Photo via Chang W. Lee/The New York Times

Gold! The US Bobsled Team 1 wins the first American gold medal in bobsled in 62 years. Sure, that is a feat in it of its self with heavy competition, but to make the victory even more sweet, the pilot of the Night Train sled Steve Holcomb, suffers from keratoconus, a degenerative eye condition in which the cornea distorts, causing streaking and blurring in the vision.

After his vision had deteriorated to 20/500, last March Steve underwent a radical 20-minute procedure, yet to be approved by the FDA, in which doctors implanted a lens behind each iris. Now just a year later, Steve is an Olympic champion!

See the gold medal run here and read more about Steve and the US Bobsled team here.

File under: Get Fit, Technology, sports | Tagged: 20/500, 62 years, blurred vision, cornea, degenerative eye condition, gold medal, iris, keratoconus, lens implant, Night Train, not approved by FDA, Olympics 2010, plant lens behind iris, Steve Holcomb, Steven Holcomb, USA Bobsled
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UV Protection – Protect Your Eyes

Posted on January 27th, 2010 by Melissa W.

What we call a “rainbow” is the spectrum of light energy from the sun that we can see. At each end of this visible light are other forms of invisible energy— from radio waves to x-rays. Some of this energy is in the form of ultraviolet waves, or UV. UV is not normally visible, but you might have seen its purplish glow from a special “black light” bulb that makes things glow in the dark.

While we can’t see ultraviolet radiation, it can see—and harm—us if we are not careful. Even on an overcast day, UV light from the sun can cause sunburn of our skin and the cornea of our eyes, which is called “photokeratitis.” Over a long time, it can increase your chance of cataracts (a clouding of the lens of the eye) and damage to your retina that might lead to total blindness.

Team Type 1's Kori Seehafer wearing Nike sunglasses.

Sunscreen protects your skin from overexposure to UV rays. Proper lenses can safely block UV radiation and protect your eyes.

Be Glare Aware!
Glare, or extreme brightness, can be distracting and even dangerous. The direct rays of the sun are the most powerful source of glare and UV radiation, but glare can also be reflected off roads, buildings, water, and snow. Special “polarized” lenses reduce or eliminate glare and reflections. They work by selectively absorbing the reflected glare while transmitting useful light from the scene.

Source: eyedidntknowthat.com

File under: Get Fit, Team Type 1 | Tagged: Team Type 1, UV protection, wellness
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Help Save Your Eyes

Posted on December 28th, 2009 by Sara B.

Did you know that carrots are not the only vegetable that can protect your eyes? Dr. Jennifer Ashton recently discussed some other eye-healthy foods on, “The Early Show.” According to Dr. Ashton, lutein and zeaxanthin are the most beneficial cartenoids for eye health. In fact, there are foods that are good for our eyes and taste delicious, too, that most of us are not even aware of. Below is a list of some of these foods, which promote eye health.

Spinach
Kale
Peas
Zucchini
Broccoli
Other leafy greens
Orange peppers
Corn
Oranges
Honeydew melon
Egg yolks

Why is it so important to protect our eyes, you may ask? Dr. Ashton states it in simple logic:

“The thinking is that our eyes age just like other parts of our body, and things like these substances can really make a big difference in preventing things like macular degeneration and cataracts.” Read more »

File under: Get Fit, eye health | Tagged: broccoli, cataracts, corn, Dr. Jennifer Ashton, egg yolks, eye health, Food For Thought, foods good for your eyes, fruits and vegetables, healthy eating, honeydew melon, kale, leafy greens, lutein, macular degeneration, orange peppers, oranges, peas, spinach, The Early Show, zeaxanthin, zucchini
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Bobby Jackson – Vision in School and Sports

Posted on November 24th, 2009 by Melissa W.

NBA Star Bobby Jackson talks about the importance of vision for kids in school and with sports. Do you have a story about how vision has impacted you or your child in school or sports? Share it with us, and you’ll be entered to win a backpack autographed by Bobby Jackson.

File under: Get Fit, Uncategorized, VSP in the Community, eye health | Tagged: bobby jackson, kids, NBA, school, sports, vision, VSP Vision Care
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Lose Weight and Feel Great!

Posted on August 5th, 2009 by Sara B.

Sara B. is a member of VSP's Finance Team.

If there’s one thing that’s tough to do at work, it’s saying no to junk food. The truth is that food and the workplace just seem to go together. What’s a Monday morning without a little sugar rush? From the donuts that are shared around the office, to that fresh stash of chocolate your coworker has at her desk and always makes sure to replenish, eating unhealthy food in the workplace seems to be a constant temptation.

When the pounds slowly crept up on me within my first year of working at VSP, I was, inevitably, in denial. I tried to convince myself that my metabolism was just slowing down with age. 24 years old is old, right? Then, I tried assuring myself that I still looked fine and that it was normal to not be able to zip my pants up in the morning. Didn’t I throw them in the dryer a little longer than usual last night? Next, I switched from wearing dressy, form-fitting clothes to work every day, to wearing casual, loose clothing. I wasn’t trying to conceal my weight gain. Can’t a girl have a casual Friday … every day of the week?

My big wake up call came when I looked in the mirror one day and completely did not recognize the girl staring back at me. I had managed to gain 20 pounds and be the heaviest that I had ever been in my entire life. Coming from a person who had never been overweight prior to this, this sudden weight gain was enough to throw me into a full-blown depression.

File under: Get Fit | Tagged: GetFIT Program, weight loss
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It’s all about Wellness

Posted on July 27th, 2009 by Lee Anne P

Lee Anne P. is VSP's Wellness Coordinator.

Lee Anne P. is a VSP Wellness Coordinator.

Companies are looking for ways to cut costs. One area that’s getting a lot of attention is the health of employees.

At VSP we have a GetFIT Program that has helped inspire employees to lose over 10,915 pounds! The program started back in 2005 and encourages team participation and support. It helps to share your goals with a group, and facing your bad habits together is a great start.

We’re all trying to meet the demands of work, family and life. How can we possibly fit in exercise?

By the time we get home from work the last thing we want to do is exercise. It’s time for dinner, cleaning, school work with the kids, and maybe if we’re lucky some down time.

The reality is that as we get older the importance of exercise goes from a choice to a necessity. How do you want to face your golden years? Walking gingerly or running to meet all the possibilities? Basketball

File under: Get Fit | Tagged: GetFIT Program
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Get with the program. GetFIT

Posted on July 1st, 2009 by Andy G.

Andy G. is a member of VSP's Sales Team.

I am not an athlete. I’m a nerd.

In elementary school, I failed the President’s Physical Fitness Test. In high school, the most time I spent on a court or field was in the stands, playing with the pep band. In my job as a technical communicator at VSP, the heaviest lifting I do involves right-clicking a mouse. The physical exertion my kids expend in one hour will exceed the average physical exertion I expend in two months. One of my nicknames is “Android.” How nerdy is that? I am not an athlete.

As an adult, I face an uphill battle trying to stay at my ideal weight, in my right size pants, and out of the doctor’s office.

That’s why I’m a willing participant in a wellness program at VSP called GetFIT.

What’s GetFIT?
Read more »

File under: Get Fit, diabetes | Tagged: getfit, health, vsp.com, weight, wellness
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Ride to work, change your life!

Posted on June 24th, 2009 by Paula F.

Paula F. is a member of VSP's Commercial Marketing team.

Paula F. is a member of VSP's Commerical Marketing team.

The locker room at VSP is quiet in the morning, or I should say the women’s locker room is quiet. It’s nice, but where are all the women?

For years I toyed with the idea of commuting on my bike to work. There is always a reason not to get the process started. A few of my personal favorites (call them reasons or excuses) involve coordinating clothing and duplicating hair products and make up. And then the big one, what if I get to work and don’t have what I need, or even better, what if I don’t want wear what’s hanging in my locker? All water under the bridge….

For me, the key is driving to the office once a week, on the weekend. Yes, that’s right, load up clothes and shoes for the week. It isn’t always possible to ride five days a week, but I can tell you this process has changed my life. I used to spend quite a bit of time in the morning standing in the

Fellow bike commuter John Kretschmann, IT

closet, picking, choosing, coordinating and ironing if necessary. My new process — five minutes of assembling outfits and putting them in the car with a clean towel. Even if I forget something, no one is the wiser. So many things just don’t matter.

So life is different now. I don’t get up and get ready for work anymore, I get up and head out the door on my bike. Ten miles later I stop at the office and take a nice shower. Best yet, unlike most bike rides where you hope you can find something other than power food to eat, we have the cafeteria waiting to fill that need. This is all good.

And there you have it. In addition to saving gas you can rack up lots base miles every week that will make you strong and fit. And what you see along the way to the office is amazing!