Community members, family, mental health and healthy aging

FIVE QUESTIONS is where we ask members of the community to talk about how they stay HEALTHY. Peer Manager, Prince of Wales Hospital, Stephen Adei, shared this:

11 April 2023
5 Questions

1. What did you eat yesterday?

Yesterday I had toast – hi GI bread with peanut butter for breakfast, sausage rolls and party pies and spring rolls for lunch that my wife made, and I made lamb steak with air fried sweet potatoes, broccoli, beans and corn for dinner that we shared.

2. What exercise did you do yesterday?

I went to the gym and did a full body circuit workout 5 circuits, eight exercises – dumbbell chest, dips, triceps pull downs, pull ups, lateral shoulder raises, shoulder presses, dumbbell back and goblet squats.

3. When did you last see a primary health professional?

I see a primary health professional once every two weeks as i have lived experience of mental health challenges and have a regular check in with my GP every two weeks to check on me physically and mentally as well as getting a depot (injection) every two weeks. I have been in recovery for 10 years but always have to stay on top of things.

4. What do you do to improve your mental health?

As I work in mental health, as a manager in a hospital, self care is very important for me to maintain my mental health. Outside of work, I practice mindfulness, watch the NBA for relaxation, speedread science fiction and fantasy (1000 pages in 2 hours) for recreation and make sure I go to the gym for an hour with my wife.

5. What are your health goals for the next month?

I have bulked up a bit at the gym lately, tipping the scales at 110 last week. I am a lot stronger but am trying to come down to the 103 kg range while maintaining strength. I am hoping to hit 105 in a month and 103 kg in 2 – 3 months. I am more of a body builder than anything but toss in some cardio at the end of workouts to achieve objectives where necessary.

Read previous ‘FIVE QUESTIONS’ here