FROM THE EDITOR

Well, Well, Well...

by Ann M. Londrigan

I took a wellness test recently at St. John's Hospital here in Springfield and scored a 2 out of 10 (10 being healthiest) in the stress risk category. Well, well, well, I said to myself, this is distressing.

The good news is that stress can be positive. According the personal Health Risk Profile St. John's provided, positive stress can help you concentrate and focus. When stress is positive, your body relaxes after the stress.

Negative stress, on the other hand, can cause deterioration in both your physical and mental health, and your body never fully relaxes. You stay "wound up" all the time.

The key is finding ways to relieve negative stress, which can lead to high blood pressure, ulcers, headaches, heart attacks and more.

Finding a healthy outlet like regular exercise is one prescription St. John's suggests. Ex is Rx!, agrees fitness consultant Elaine Layden whose article on page 31 offers a healthy debate over just how much exercise is enough these days.

Statistics supporting the benefits of recreation on overall wellness appear in the news media nearly every day.

On May 15, the U.S. Surgeon General is scheduled to release a report recommending every adult accumulate 30 minutes or more of moderate-intensity physical activity on most, preferably all, days of the week. The report will specifically cite the benefits of small amounts of recreation such as walking, gardening, dancing, hiking, hiking, playing catch or any other fun, physical activity—the business of park districts, recreation agencies, forest preserves and conservation agencies.

In this special focus issue, academics and daily practitioners take different perspectives on what the field of parks and recreation brings to this wellness buzz. I found it particularly interesting to hear from others who have taken wellness tests—like Ken Lack of Hoffman Estates, who has become more aware of daily stresses in his life.

Thankfully, for me, the news wasn't all bad. I scored perfect 10's in categories for regular exams and exercise. As Sandy Burk of IPHEN points out on page 33, it pays to practice what you preach.

ON THE COVER

William D. Glass, natural heritage biologist with the Illinois Department of Natural Resources, took this icy shot late one winter morning in Ottawa Canyon, Starved Rock State Park.