The Daily Times

One day Michael Duerr might be challenged to take the stairs over the elevator at work or drink an extra 8 ounces of water. Checking his heart rate or his bank balance are other suggestions this Louisville resident has been putting into practice since January of 2011.

That’s because Duerr, who turns 59 this month, got interested in a website called MeYou Health and its daily challenges. Every morning at 7, the free website sends out the challenge of the day. Those who sign up are challenged to get it done in the next 24 hours. It’s not all about losing weight, Duerr said. There are exercise challenges, but you can also be asked to focus on relationships or time management or stress issues. Duerr’s brother discovered the website and has been participating even longer than Duerr. It’s a creative way to meet a daily goal and share experiences with others who are participating, he said.

“It’s a pretty neat little site,” Duerr said. “The challenges are all sorts, from checking your blood pressure to watching what you eat or what’s in the food you eat. It’s been fun.”

Christine Fiske is the head of marketing at MeYou Health. She said the website was launched in September 2010 and so far 200,000 people have signed up to receive the daily challenges through email. She said Duerr is in the top 1 percent of folks who have been consistently participating for almost a year.

On and on and on

“It is rare to find someone who has been with us for over a year and done this on an every day basis,” Fiske said.

She believes people are sticking with it because the challenges aren’t something that people feel are too difficult or time consuming. The support network that has developed is can also take credit, she said.

“We present these challenges that are very attainable for just about everyone,” Fiske said. “We realize that a lot of people will set goals that are too large and unrealistic. That tends to discourage people from feeling like they can make a change in their well-being.”

The goal, Fiske said, is to create mindfulness in people to take five minutes a day and do something for their well-being. That can be as simple as writing a note to someone or cleaning out a junk drawer. A daily challenge can get participants to thinking about other ways to improve their lives, she said.

The system is set up like a game, because Fiske said people will stay engaged. There are points for completing the challenges and streaks are counted. Some participants might even make a pact with another to complete a number of tasks — a way to make them more fun, Fiske said.

She said there is research to show that people are more inclined to develop healthy habits if they receive support from the people they are most connected to. Many have gotten friends and family to sign up and start their own streak.

Beyond the challenge

Duerr isn’t sure what the record is for most consecutive days someone has met the MeYou Health daily challenges, but Duerr plans to continue on. He has even gotten his sister involved.

And besides having the satisfaction of completing a daily goal, there is the social aspect to the website, Duerr explained. He said it’s like a chat room where people with like interests share and encourage each other. With almost a year under his belt, Duerr has been able to offer his insights and establish friendships with people from around the world.

Duerr said the challenges involving diet haven’t been difficult for him. He has dedicated himself to a healthy lifestyle. That wasn’t always the case, though. He said he was a smoker for more than 40 years and an alcoholic. He hasn’t touched cigarettes or alcohol for years now. Duerr also admitted to using drugs for years but said that is also something he’s left in the past.

“I have beaten a lot of things in my life,” he said.

Born and raised in New York, Duerr has been a resident of Louisville for six years and works for Melaleuca, a company which bases its products on wellness. In his spare time, he loves honing his skills at calligraphy and sells his work although it isn’t displayed currently.

He said the MeYou Health website is a great opportunity for people who want to set daily goals and reach them with support from others. He said his toughest challenges so far have involved dealing with issues from his past. There are tracks on the website where you can focus on certain areas like that. Self-esteem or time management or self improvement are just some of the areas you can focus on, Duerr said.

This program of daily challenges has become routine now for Duerr. He has set aside time each morning during a break at work to get it done. He likes the fact these challenges are attainable and get dialogue going between participants. It’s really all about attitude, attitude, attitude, he said. “Groups like this can give you the inspiration to do what you thought you couldn’t,” he said.

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