Don Yerhot, Windows Network Administrator

What does wellness mean to you?
  Wellness is more than just a lack of illness. It’s balancing the physical, emotional, and spiritual parts of your life.

What do you do to stay well?
  I’m a constant sponge, always trying to find new information to help me to stay well. I try to eat well and meditate daily. I started practicing transcendental meditation in 1985 and I’ve been doing it almost daily for 20 years. I also exercise four – five times per week. I do a combination of aerobics and weights. My normal routine consists of 30 minutes on the cross trainer and 30 minutes of weight training, followed by stretching.  But I haven’t always done this. At one time I was a competitive body builder and power-lifter. I was even in the Mr. Minn. body building competition in 1987.  A few years before, I successfully lifted a 780-pound dead lift in a competition and finished tenth in the world.

How do you work wellness into your day?
 I try to take frequent walks and manage my workload. I also try to manage my emotions when things happen that could cause me stress.

What are your biggest struggles for maintaining wellness?
 Eating the wrong kinds of foods can be a big problem for me. I have to keep sweets out of the house.

How do you find time to workout?
  I just make time.  Working out is like work – it’s crucial. Since I’ve worked out for over 25 years, it has become a habit, a necessity, and a way I fight Father Time.

Why is being well important to you?
  I want to experience a good quality of life.  I don’t want to worry about hurting my back when I shovel snow.  I want to age gracefully.

Do you have any recommended resources for wellness?
 The Internet is a good resource, of course.  Rosie’s site, “HealthyU,” has a wealth of information.  Also, a book by Candace Pert, “Molecules of Emotion,” is a good resource, which basically says that for every emotion that a person has, there’s a physical response in the body.