Whatever is keeping you from working out can be easily overcome!



Not ready to commit to a gym membership or personal trainer? Here are a few options for workouts you can try at home:

Looking to find new ways to burn calories? Try spending a little extra time on these everyday activities and you’ll find that burning calories is just an added bonus!

Looking to find new ways to burn calories? Try spending a little extra time on these everyday activities and you’ll find that burning calories is just an added bonus!

When measuring your metabolism, there are two important numbers to know.

Metabolic Rate: This is the number of calories you burn while resting. You can figure it out using your height, weight, and age. Because of differences in metabolism, there are different formulas for men and for women. Enter your height and weight below to see how many calories you burn on average each day with little to no activity.



Caloric Needs: Based on your metabolic rate, you can determine how many calories per day you should consume in order to maintain your current weight. This can be done multiplying the metabolic rate number by a number determined by your activity level.

Activity Level
Inactive: little or no exercise, multiply BMR by 1.2
Lightly Active: light exercise or sports 1-3 days/week, multiply BMR by 1.375
Moderately Active: moderate exercise or sports 3-5 days/week, multiply BMR by 1.55
Very Active: hard exercise or sports 6-7 days/week, multiply BMR by 1.725
Extremely Active: very hard daily exercise or sports; or physical job; or 2X day training, multiply BMR by 1.9

Increasing your activity level will boost your metabolic rate.

A healthier lifestyle requires a few changes, starting with your diet. It’s no secret that cholesterol can be affected by what you eat – here are a few foods that can help you maintain a healthy cholesterol level.



Don’t forget to combine these diet changes with exercise and other healthy choices, like quitting smoking, to see the greatest impact on your health.

Your Body Mass Index (BMI) is a fairly reliable indicator of what percentage of your body is fat and is calculated using your height and weight. Enter your height and weight below, then refer to the chart to see where you fall.



When checking which category you fall into, it’s important to remember that very muscular individuals often fall into the overweight category when they are not overly fat. BMI may also place individuals who have lost muscle into the healthy weight category. Measuring BMI for very short people or pregnant women is not appropriate.

Because it is believed that excessive abdominal fat is more health threatening than hip or thigh fat, the National Institute of Health asks physicians to measure patients' waistlines, which you can also do to track your weight loss progress.

The most accurate way to determine your body fat measurement is to use a skin-fold caliper or clamp test. Some fitness centers and doctors offices offer the clamp test, but you can also perform it yourself.

Step 1: Purchase skin-fold calipers (in millimeter measurements), which are available at most sporting goods stores.

Step 2: Enlist a friend to help you pinch and measure your skin in various places.



Step 3: Calculate the sum by adding the measurements from all sites and enter the numbers into the following formula for men and women:

Stress is unavoidable, and the effects it can have on our wellbeing make it a danger to our health that we often don’t take as seriously as we should. Fortunately, there are several ways to beat stress. Try these stress reducing techniques:

Your home should be a restful retreat from the world. Unfortunately, with the abundance of responsibilities and problems that can arise, home can create just as many stresses in your life as work.

Try the following methods to make your home a little less stressful:



If you start your day in a stress-free home, you are more likely to have a stress-free day.

Work wasn’t nicknamed “the daily grind” because it’s always fun. In fact, work is one of the biggest stressors we face in our daily lives.

Here are a few ways to make your 9-to-5 less stressful:



Work can be overwhelming and stressful so remember to make de-stressing a priority.

Living a healthy life starts with forming healthy habits, or behaviors that occur automatically. Think about the first time you drove to work from home – can you even remember it? Your daily commute is so engrained in your habits that you don’t ever think about it. Your brain goes into autopilot for habit-forming activities like these.

In order to form new habits (or break old ones), it’s important to understand how habits work. Habits form in a part of the brain called the basal ganglia in a three-part pattern called a habit loop:



As involuntary as habits are, it is never too late to make, break, or change them. Once you recognize the cues and rewards for your habits, it becomes easier to alter them. Try forming a new habit, like exercising, by using the habit loop to your advantage.



All you have to do is get started.

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Empowering individuals with the tools to improve their health is a priority for AvMed Health Plans , which is why they are excited to support Wake Up to Good Health.

AvMed serves Floridians with a superior network of doctors, specialists and hospitals and award-winning service. For more than 40 years, AvMed has been Florida-based and Florida-focused providing personalized service and quality health benefits for individuals and businesses.

WakeUpToGoodHealth.com is the website that helps you focus on what you need to do now to start becoming healthier: small changes, BIG impact.



For each of these topics we present simple choices, like packing a healthy lunch, adding core exercises to your routine, or simplifying your days.  You can choose which changes appeal the most and start from there.  This site also includes tools like body mass and metabolism calculators, so you can track your progress starting now. 

While it’s always important to take care of our health, it’s also important to have the right healthcare coverage.  Download the free Health Insurance 101 Guide on this page from the experts at AvMed to take the first step.  Test your own knowledge with the Quiz and be entered into our weekly prize drawing for a Nike+ Fuel Band.

NO PURCHASE NECESSARY TO ENTER OR WIN. A PURCHASE WILL NOT IMPROVE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING.

1. Eligibility: Wake Up to Good Health – Nike+ Fuel Band Contest (the “Contest”) is open only to legal residents of the state of Florida, who are 18 years of age or older and located in the U.S. at the time of entry. Employees, contractors, independent agents, directors and officers of AvMed Health Plans, 9400 S. Dadeland Blvd. Miami, FL 33156, Compass Partners LLC, 561 SW 168th Ter, Weston, FL 33326 and their respective parents, subsidiaries and affiliated companies, distributors, licensees and the advertising, fulfillment, judging and promotion agencies involved in the development and administration of this Contest and each of their officers, directors, employees and agents (collectively, “Contest Parties”), and their immediate family members (parent, child, sibling and spouse of each) and those living in the same households of each are not eligible. Void elsewhere and where prohibited by law. Contest is subject to all applicable federal, state, and local laws.

2. Contest Period: The Wake Up to Good Health – Nike+ Fuel Band Contest (“Contest”) will begin on February 11, 2013 at 6 A.M. and end on Sunday, August 11, 2013 at 6 P.M. ET (“Contest Period”). All times in the Contest refer to Eastern Time (“ET”).

3. How to Enter: During the Contest Period, go to www.wakeuptogoodhealth.com (“Website”) and click on the link to take the Quiz. Follow the on-screen directions to complete the Quiz. Visitors who complete the quiz with a score or 70% of higher will be prompted to complete the entry form (“Online Entry”). Entrants must complete all required information. LIMIT ONE (1) ONLINE ENTRY PER PERSON.

4. Prize Drawing: On or about the following dates, a random drawing from among eligible Online Entries received during the previous month of the Contest Period will be conducted:

March 11, 2013
April 11, 2013
May 11, 2013
June 11, 2013
July 11, 2013
August 11, 2013

5. Prizes, Approximate Retail Value (“ARV”) & Odds: One (1) winner will be selected on each of the Prize Drawing dates. Winner will receive one (1) Nike+ Fuel Band, ARV $159.99. No substitution, cash redemption or transfer of prizes is permitted except at Sponsor’s sole discretion. If a prize, or any portion thereof, cannot be awarded for any reason, Sponsor reserves the right to substitute a prize of equal or greater value. All federal, state and local taxes, and all other costs associated with acceptance or use of the prizes, are the sole responsibility of the winner. Arrangements for delivery of prizes will be performed after winner validation. LIMIT ONE (1) PRIZE PER PERSON/EMAIL ADDRESS/HOUSEHOLD. Odds of winning any prize depend on the number of entries received. At the Sponsor’s discretion, unclaimed prizes may not be awarded.

6. General Rules: All federal, state and local laws apply. Winners will be notified by email, mail or telephone. Potential winners may be required to sign and return an Affidavit of Eligibility and Release of Liability and a Publicity Release within ten (10) days of attempted delivery or prize will be forfeited. The return of any prize/prize notification as undeliverable or failure to respond to notices or return any documents in a timely manner may result in disqualification and an alternate winner may be chosen. By participating, participants agree to release, discharge and hold harmless Contest Parties from and against any and all liability or damages associated with this Contest or acceptance, use or misuse of any prize received in this Contest. Contest Parties are not responsible for any typographical or other error in the printing of the offer or administration of the Contest. Acceptance of prize constitutes permission for the Sponsor and its agencies to use winners’ names and likenesses for purposes of advertising and publicity without further compensation, unless prohibited by law. By participating in this Contest, participants agree to be bound by the Official Rules and decisions of the Contest Parties, which shall be final in all matters relating to the Contest. Contest Parties are not responsible for lost, late, misdirected, stolen, illegible, inaccurate, damaged, incomplete, non-delivered or postage-due mail; or for printing, distribution or production errors or for technical, hardware, software, or telephone malfunctions of any kind, lost or unavailable network connections, or failed, incorrect, incomplete, inaccurate, garbled or delayed electronic communications caused by the user or by any of the equipment or programming associated with or utilized in this Contest, or by any human, or other error, which may occur in this Contest. If, in the Contest Parties’ opinion, there is any suspected or actual evidence of tampering with any portion of the Contest or Website or if technical difficulties compromise the integrity of the Contest, the Contest Parties reserves the right to void suspect entries and/or modify and/or terminate the Contest and/or conduct a random drawing to award the prizes using all known eligible non-suspect entries received. The Contest Parties reserves the right to disqualify any individual who tampers with the Contest Parties or Website or acts in a disruptive manner. In the event of a dispute regarding the identity of the person submitting an entry, entries will be declared made by the person's name submitted at time of entry.

7. Choice of Law and Jurisdiction: This Contest is offered only in the United States and is governed by the laws of the State of Florida. By entering, entrants irrevocably consent to the sole and exclusive jurisdiction of the courts of the State of Florida for any action, suit or proceeding arising out of or relating to this Contest.

8. Waiver: By participating in this Contest, participant waives all rights to claim punitive, incidental and consequential damages, attorneys’ fees or any damages other than actual out-of-pocket costs incurred to participate.

9. Winners’ List: To receive a copy of the Winners’ List for this Contest (available after August 11, 2013) send an email (no later than September 1, 2013) to alex@yourcompasspartners.com with the subject line: "Winners List Request, Wake Up to Good Health – Nike+ Fuel Band Contest"

10. Sponsor: The Contest is sponsored by AvMed Health Plans, 9400 S. Dadeland Blvd. Miami, FL 33156

11. Judging Agency: The Contest is administered and judged by Compass Partners LLC, 561 SW 168 Ter, Weston, FL 33326.