living A HEALTHFOCUSED life

When someone noted her weight loss, she no longer had that sense of panic. “Because my focus was ‘getting healthy’ and not ‘weight loss,’ I didn’t self-destruct,” she says. Better yet, she was feeling her success in family outings.

Her go-to, after-work exercise is the NuStep machine at the Greenfield location. “I go, and most days I don’t even change out of my work clothes. I know I need to get it in!” she says.

At 57-years-old, she changed her strategy. “I was encouraged to instead of choosing a New Year’s resolution, to seek a word for the year. I settled on ‘healthy’ — relational, spiritual, and physical health. I felt like I wanted to go all-in.” And thus began a transformative change.

As a receptionist for the Hancock Health Gastroenterology, Ward was eligible for a pre-diabetes program for employees. She began working with a trainer three times a week and as well as seeking guidance from Kerri Kissell, M.D., medical director for endocrinology, diabetes, and metabolism at Hancock Health. “She helped with my medications and revamped what I was taking,” Ward explains. “The combination of better eating, exercise, and paying attention to what she told me, I lost 80 pounds.”

“I love waterfalls, but obviously, the trail gets tough the closer you get to the waterfall. In the past, I would just do the best I could,” she recalls. “Last summer we went to Maine and for the first time, I wouldn’t get winded walking up and down a hill. On the way home, we detoured by a waterfall in New York with an eternal flame. It was slippery and steep at the bottom, and I had to climb over a beaver dam to get to it. I was so happy and excited I could do that. That is MY victory story!”

The walking track and activity pool at the New Palestine location give her some variety in her exercise program, but her favorite is the therapy pool at McCordsville. “Treading water is my exercise of choice. I love looking out that big window while I’m exercising.” Likewise, she’s a fan of the McCordsville aqua Zumba classes. “The instructor Mary has an encouraging spirit and doesn’t get upset if you can’t follow everything and doesn’t do anything that makes you feel ‘less than.’ The instructors at all the locations work with you where you are in your health journey.”

Ward says she continues to work out, actively seeking those healthier life successes. And she doesn’t limit her workouts to just one of the Hancock Wellness Center locations. For her, each one holds something perfect.