Jay Kimiecik, a faculty member at Miami since 1990 and director of Miami’s employee wellness program for the past two years, has published academic research on fitness topics as well as consulted with national fitness organizations.  He is the author of a fitness behavior program that has been used in more than 500 YMCAs and has also written The Intrinsic Exerciser: Discovering the Joy of Exercise (Houghton Mifflin, 2002) with a second book, Runner as Hero pending.

Q. Jay, why is it that more of us aren’t able to adopt the kind of healthy eating and exercise behaviors that B.J. Reed exemplifies?  We know the benefits, but so few of us seem able to adopt a healthy lifestyle.  

A. Basically, my take on this is that we have a lot of information on what we should be doing, but it’s just that, information.  And despite all the coverage of the benefits of exercise, people aren’t any more active than they were 20 years ago, nor are our eating habits any better.

The research on motivation is showing that information is insufficient in getting people to change behaviors.  People want to believe that if they just have the information, they will be able to change, but they’re unable to. And that leads to frustration, guilt, and even avoidance of the desired behaviors.

Most people need to go through a fairly extensive transformation to switch to a healthy lifestyle.  I’m not saying they have to undergo a life-threatening event such as occurred to B.J. Reed, but in my experience the individuals who have succeeded have taken a long, hard look at their lives. They’re the ones who have been able to act on the information as to how you should eat and how much they should exercise.  And they don’t always go by the book, they create their own path.  They integrate wellness information with what is going on with their life.  What is it about physical fitness that will make a connection to my inner world, my thoughts, my life.  Others may disagree, but that’s been my experience.

Q. So before we can act, we need to think?
A. Yes, people need to think about why they’re not acting.  What is it that holds them back?  People are busy. They get wrapped up in the business of life and they don’t take enough time to be introspective as to who I am and what I want to be and why. It’s simple, but it’s hard. And it goes beyond thinking. What people need to create for themselves are engaging health and well-being experiences that transcend thought or feelings. These experiences draw people back to exercise, for example, and lead to sustainable change. 

My suggestion on how to get started would be to write down or to talk to someone you’re close to about what’s important to you.  Then examine how eating and activity connects with that.  Don’t worry about what the experts are advising, do what’s joyful to you. 

Q. So, for example, if friendship is important to me, then walking with a friend might be a good way to get started?
It’s not quite that simple. And you do have to make sure you don’t become too dependent on the friend, but, yes, you need to look at yourself to find your own answers. Think about what you value in your life, how exercise could add to that and what kind of exercise would best connect with your own needs. I get a lot of social interaction all day, so I prefer to be alone when I exercise.  Running gives me time by myself. Others prefer more social interaction.

Q. What about the role of personal trainers and employee wellness programs?
More employers are offering wellness programs, due, at least in part, to rising health care costs.  Miami’s program offers personal training and lots of employees are taking advantage of that. The reason that helps is the personal connection; you’re not only getting information but also making strong human connection.  The research shows that the more you can get one-to-one help, the more likely you’ll be able to integrate these wellness behaviors into your life.

Miami’s employee wellness program has been well received.  Over 1,000 employees participated in at least one program last year.  We offer a full range of activities, from exercise to smoking cessation, blood pressure monitoring, etc.