After a routine blood test and subsequent investigations, Michelle was diagnosed with cancer.

Today the 64-year-old Bupa customer says she’s more active than ever and embarking on a personal training course so she can help others on their journey to a healthier life.

Michelle’s sharing her story, in the hope of inspiring other people to take that first step, saying it feels like she has a new lease on life.

“Exercise completely changed my life,” Michelle said.

“A routine blood test in 2019 uncovered that I have chronic lymphoma, but I was also suffering from osteoarthritis, and I couldn't walk. I was too embarrassed to go out, I was 40 kilos overweight, and it was crushing my knees.”

“That’s the point when I told myself I had to keep going. I had to try because I didn't want cancer to take over my body.”

“I started with a personal trainer and followed their exercise and nutrition program religiously. The weight was starting to come down and I began being called the Gym Girl.”

“One of the other positive side effects of my new way of living was the boost in my mental health.”

“In 2021, in lockdown, I started having alarming symptoms and was diagnosed with colon cancer - that devastated me. Within three weeks I was on the operating table and had 30 centimetres of my colon removed. I was very lucky the cancer hadn’t spread.”

“As soon as I recovered, they wanted to start chemo to make 100% sure that it was gone. I used that time to keep going to the gym, the whole time I was on chemo. I just did what I could and then I’d go home and rest.”

“I’m now cancer-free and making the most of life. Exercise is in my blood now. It’s my passion and I want to help anyone around my age to see just how important movement is. Even increasing your steps can make a big difference.”

“It’s not too late. I started training at 60 and I'm the strongest I've ever been, and this week I’m starting a TAFE course in Personal Training,” she said.

Learn more about Michelle’s experience and find information on prevention, key checks and living with cancer on Blua. 

The Healthy Cities Challenge encourages Bupa’s people, community and corporate partners to adopt active lifestyle habits by getting moving any way they can during September to unlock investment into environmental projects to restore nature and create new green spaces in urban areas. The 2024 Challenge launches amidst Bupa research suggesting almost 50 per cent of Aussies are running, walking or cycling for fitness, with two-thirds of those who are running doing so to improve their mental health[1].

Bupa APAC CEO Nick Stone said while Bupa’s people gear-up for Healthy Cities 2024, funding from the 2023 program has already been put into action through a range of planting days in local communities.

“By combining physical activity with environmental action, the Healthy Cities Challenge brings to life our belief that to have healthy people, you need to have a healthy planet.

“With the activity and enthusiasm of participants, we want to build on the 650 million steps taken as part of last year’s Healthy Cities Challenge and create a groundswell of activity towards one billion collective steps in 2024 so we can revitalise even more green spaces with our restoration partners,” said Nick.

Landcare Australia joins Project Crimson Trust in New Zealand, which are involved for the second year as partners in Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge and will share in the $1 million committed to local restoration projects.

Landcare Australia CEO, Dr. Shane Norrish welcomed the opportunity to partner with Bupa to plant thousands of trees and shrubs that will create lasting environmental and health benefits in urban and peri-urban communities across Australia.

“This collaboration provides an excellent opportunity to demonstrate and showcase the connection between human and planet health on a national scale,” Shane said. 

The Healthy Cities Challenge takes place as Bupa activates in Melbourne’s CBD in separate initiatives delivered in partnership with National Gallery of Victoria (NGV) and Fed Square. As part of the NGV’s Reimagining Birrarung: Towards 2070 exhibition, Bupa will be supporting a range of activities designed to encourage audience reflection and action, and support people’s health through nature restoration.

This September Bupa will also support RESET at Melbourne’s iconic Fed Square – a month-long festival, focusing on environmental sustainability, connecting with nature, and promoting easy, enjoyable and useful ways to reduce our impact on the world.

Following Healthy Cities and RESET, Bupa will be sponsoring the 2024 Private Land Conservation Conference which provides landowners, government and business the opportunity to collaborate and explore opportunities to accelerate and expand nature action at corporate, community and individual levels.

Nick Stone said partnerships such as these are vital for helping people experience firsthand how adopting healthy habits in their day-to-day lives can positively impact their wellbeing and the cities they live in.

“Through a collective effort, we are committed to contributing to the restoration of our invaluable and distinctive ecosystems in Australia and New Zealand, all aimed at fostering a healthier planet for healthier people," Nick said.

Further information on Bupa’s Healthy Cities Challenge can be found here www.bupa.com.au/healthycities

[1] PowerPoint Presentation (bupa.com.au)

As Official Healthcare Partner to Paralympics Australia, Bupa has set up the Hub for coaches and officials who travel with the para-athletes, as well as Paralympics Australia team members, to support their health and wellbeing throughout the Games.

The Wellbeing Hub, located at Paralympics Australia’s Out of Village Base just outside the Games venue, will be a place where support squad members can take a moment for themselves, to regroup, focus on their mental health while also have access to a physio, massage chairs, recovery boots and a stretch station.

This follows a year-long health and wellbeing program, delivered by Bupa in consultation with Paralympics Australia, including proactive health offerings such as skin checks, and tailored programs on maintaining sleep and wellbeing during high-stress moments.

Bupa APAC CEO, Nick Stone, said a Para-athlete’s support network played a crucial part in their success, but the support team could often put aside their health and wellbeing while they prioritised their athletes’ needs, with limited resources.

“Our team members across our stores, clinics, and care homes are ready to cheer on our Paralympians in Paris. We’ve got green and gold fever and can’t wait to watch them compete on the world stage,” Mr Stone said.

“We know sport connects all Australians, whether they’re playing or spectating, and we hope all Australians will get behind our Paralympians this year and think deeply about how they can help make Australia more accessible for people living with a disability.

“We’ve been inspired by our partnership with Paralympics Australia and watching the Paralympians in their journey to Paris. We’re also incredibly proud to get behind the support teams who do so much to prepare the Para-athletes and help them reach their full potential.

“We know the support teams have limited time for themselves and we hope the Bupa Wellness Hub provides a space where they can take a moment for themselves,” Mr Stone said.

PA Chef de Mission, Kate McLoughlin, said: "We are well prepared to achieve great things in Paris together with Bupa, whose dedication to supporting our team, particularly the staff behind the scenes, has been outstanding. Their determination to affect change and enhance the health and wellbeing of every member of our team is something we are deeply grateful for as we head into the 2024 Paralympic Games.

"Every member of the 2024 Australian Paralympic Team is acutely proud of the incredible legacy created by those who have gone before us and the responsibility we have to uphold it. Bupa’s wonderful support, exemplified by the Wellness Hub in Paris, is a testament to their commitment to our mission and the way we will go about making our mark during this campaign.”

​Mr Stone said during the past 18 months, Bupa had also accelerated our work to become a disability-confident workplace and were proud to recently launch our inaugural Access and Inclusion plan.

“We hope that through our commitment to greater inclusion, we can foster an environment that will encourage more people to stay and join our workforce, while better meeting the needs of our people, our customers, and the communities where we live and work,” Mr Stone said.

Developed in partnership with Australian Disability Network, Bupa’s plan focuses on creating an inclusive workplace, removing unintended barriers to participation, aspiring to be an Employer of Choice, and building stronger values-led communities.

Mr Stone said critical to the development and execution of Bupa’s plan is our Access and Inclusion Employee Advocacy Group, AccessAbility. This group of employees with lived experience, who live with a disability, care for people with a disability, or are an ally to the community, help steward our approach and keep Bupa accountable to its commitments.

“Alongside our employee network, we also asked some of our Para-athletes and Bupa ambassadors to participate in workshops to help inform aspects of our Access and Inclusion plan and speak with our people about their lived experiences in sport and in the community. While we’re gaining momentum, and are proud of our progress so far, we know we still have a journey ahead,” he said.

For more information, visit Bupa’s Access and Inclusion plan.

By talking about feelings, children then get an understanding about what they’re experiencing. It helps them practice how to regulate and process their feelings in a way that promotes healthy development. The more we become more aware of the broad variety of our emotions and talk about them, the more emotionally intelligent we can become.

Without listening to how we’re feeling, emotions can affect how we behave without us realising.

The benefits to befriending your feelings.

Our feelings are there for a reason, so giving yourself time and space to experience them is powerful. Processing feelings in a healthy way gives us an opportunity to make positive changes within our environment, it also helps us better problem solve, understand ourselves, improve relationships and lower our stress levels.

Multiple feelings are normal – even if they’re conflicting.

Life isn’t black and white, and experiencing uncertainty is a part of human nature. We go through many different experiences resulting in conflicting feelings, sometimes they exist at the same time. When we can acknowledge and accept this, we don’t spend as much time and energy trying to work out which is the “right” emotion to have. That lets us focus on finding how best to navigate these complex experiences.

Big feelings and how to work with them.

Big emotions can be overwhelming and when they come up it’s often an indicator our sympathetic nervous system has been activated. This is the system that’s important for our survival in the face of threats, but it doesn’t help us to rationally think through challenges.

Quick tips to manage the big ‘feels’

• Take some deep breaths or engage in things that help us to feel relaxed or grounded. That way you might feel like you return to a place where we can think clearly about your feelings and remind yourself that they’re there for a reason.
• Talk openly about your feelings with those you trust. When we talk about how we’re feeling, it helps us to connect with people that matter and allows us to share validation of our emotions while better equipping us to support those around us.
• Practice self-compassion and be kind to yourself as you navigate big feelings. Sometimes it can take time to work through challenging emotions.
• If conflicting or big feelings are impacting your ability to engage in the things you enjoy – reaching out for support is the best way to help process these feelings and make good choices to support ourselves as best as possible.

Dr Cathryn Madden, Head Dentist at Bupa Dental said custom fitted mouthguards can give parents and players valuable piece of mind while ensuring kids can get the most out of their sporting experience.

“Players who participate in contact sports are at higher risk of sustaining potentially preventable injuries when opting for over the counter, boil and bite mouthguards which are more likely to be dislodged during a game.

“Getting fitted for a mouthguard by your friendly local dentist will ensure you have protection that is high-quality, fitted to your unique mouth and is comfortable to play in,” Cathryn said.  They minimise risk of injury to your teeth, gums and jaw and come in a variety of designs and colours.

Bupa Health Insurance members with eligible Extras cover who attend participating Bupa Dental clinics will also receive a no-gap experience on standard fitted mouthguards across its national network of 148 practices^[2].

“If you fitted your child with a mouthguard at the dentist last year, don’t assume it will still be suitable in 2024 as a child’s mouth can grow and change shape over time… particularly as they lose or develop new teeth,” Cathryn said.

For more information on no-gap mouthguards, visit here.

^{[1] ADA NSW - Supporting mouthguard awareness March
[2] In relation to Members First Ultimate dental benefits available to eligible Bupa members, further information can be found here. Benefits will only apply to 1 fitted mouthguard per person and per calendar year. Waiting periods, benefit claiming restrictions, and fund and policy rules apply}

And a definition of what makes someone a runner can be as wide as some pavements that are pounded.

Is it how fast you go? Is it how far you go? Can you have walk breaks and still be a runner?

For some, the pandemic was a prompt to get out of the gym and try something new. For others, it’s a cost-effective way to get fit, with two in five of us citing costs as the main barrier to maintaining health and wellbeing, according to the latest Bupa Pulse Check study.

No matter what kind of runner you are, today we’re celebrating you on Global Runners Day.

 We caught up with some of our own team members to find out what fuels them to get running and stay on track.

Sarah is from Melbourne and part of our People team and says running for her is key to good mental health.

“It gives me time to sort through the issues that I am working on, work or personal, and gives them the attention they deserve. I often make big decisions during a run.

Jennefer works for Bupa Dental in Brisbane and says she loves running, rain, hail or shine.

Glen is Sydney based and works in our Wellbeing Rewards team and says there’s nothing like lacing up and getting out there.

Dan Baptista works in our Brisbane operations office and admits his running buddy may have an advantage, as she has four legs.

Man from Bupa Hong Kong runs three to four times a week and says it puts a smile on her face.

Keen to get started? We’ve got some top tips to get you on your way. Get started running.

Keen to get started? We’ve got some top tips to get you on your way. Get started running.

Bianca Archibald, Bupa Merrivale Care Home Caregiver

With the release of a new Bupa parental leave policy, extra support for people like Bianca Archibald, Bupa Merrivale Care Home Caregiver, is a ‘real bonus’ to the start of 2019.

The new policy provides additional paid leave to all Bupa employees across New Zealand. It will give them access to an additional 12 weeks of paid (primary carer) leave and two weeks of secondary carer leave. In addition to the new parental leave policy, Bupa has also committed to providing employees 20 days paid domestic violence leave.

Bianca Archibald, Bupa Merrivale Care Home Caregiver, is pregnant with her first child and is due in early April and says the additional paid leave will be a big help to families.

"Pregnancy is a stressful time with lots going on, so it’s nice not to have to worry about the extra support. Just to know that it’s going to be ok and sorted is great and a real bonus," Ms Archibald said.

The Bupa parental leave policy will be additional to the standard Government parental leave benefits.

Kate Dee, Bupa’s Australia and New Zealand People Director, said that investing in people is a priority for Bupa.

"We’re excited to offer this new policy as it illustrates our serious commitment to our people. This includes supporting them through the important milestones in life such as parenthood.

We want to be supportive to our people so that they can continue to deliver on our purpose of helping people to live longer, healthier, happier lives for our residents," Ms Dee said.

Increased parental leave is proven to increase retention rates of employees, reduced training and recruitment costs.

“Recent research has found that loneliness can be just as, if not more lethal than smoking 15 cigarettes a day.”

“Loneliness presents a big risk for premature death, particularly in older people and can be associated with depression and a faster rate of cognitive decline and dementia.”

“Older people are most susceptible to feeling loneliness especially when we’re all busy shopping for last minute Chrissy presents, which is why the best present you can give this year is presence,” he said.

From improving our health and happiness to promoting a sense of belonging, boosting mood and making friends, the case for volunteering is strong which is why Bupa's volunteer program is so powerful in combatting loneliness in some of our residents who may not get regular visitors. 

Loneliness isn't the same thing as being alone. Some isolation is good for your mental wellbeing. But Dr Ross says that being alone needs to be a choice in order for it to be healthy.

“Older people who want companionship yet lack visitors are more likely to experience the physical and emotional effects of being alone.”

“Technology can help or hurt, it's simply a tool but for too many people technology has led to substituting online connections for offline in-person encounters and for older people who are not tech savvy and grew up without social media, the reality is bleak.”

Financial woes, health scares, and everyday issues can take a bigger emotional toll on people who lack social and emotional support.

"As a society, we have grown our Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat friends, but our personal connections and interactions have deteriorated.”

“If you or a loved one are struggling to combat loneliness, seek professional help by either going to see your GP or head to www.beyondblue.org.au for tips on how to maintain a positive mind-set or feel free to call our aged care support line on 1800 957 237.”

“Depression and other mental health issues can cause you to feel disconnected which can create a self-perpetuating cycle that can be difficult to break, while not easy, with the right support, wellness is possible,” he said.

UP NEXT:

Meet the aged care residents who travel more than you!

Hisham El-Ansary to become Bupa Chief Executive Officer.

BeYouAtBupa: Valerie, Cleaner, Bupa Aged Care Morphettville in South Australia.

“We knew that we needed to become more targeted and practical in how we enacted our Plan. That is why we have focused on funding innovation towards ending RHD in Australia and on providing career pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

“RHD is an entirely preventable disease, yet Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples are 20 times more likely to die from RHD than their non-Indigenous peers.

“We’ve invested money to create two END RHD communities in the Northern Territory to test a new community-led model of care in partnership with Telethon Kids and the Menzies School of Health Research. This model is now being expanded to another community in the Kimberley with the support of the Federal Government.

“Additionally, we have signed a partnership with the CareerTrackers internship program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander university students, committing to 10 internships a year for 10 years and launched a scholarship to support Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women at university,” Mr Bowden said.

Bupa has also announced its support for the Uluru Statement from the Heart, which calls for a First Nations Voice in the Australian Constitution and speaks to the work that must be done to empower Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.

“Bupa’s support is underpinned by the voices of our employees who support constitutional recognition as an important step to improve the long-term health and emotional wellbeing of First Nations people,” Mr Bowden said.

“Before taking this position we spent time listening to our employees to understand why they felt it was important for Bupa to support the Statement and then worked with our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander employees to craft the wording of our support and highlight how it related to our purpose.

Karen Mundine, Chief Executive Officer of Reconciliation Australia welcomed the commitment from Bupa.

Bupa launched its first Reconciliation Action Plan in 2015 and has used learnings from its implementation to improve the latest Plan.

UP NEXT:

Inclusion, diversity and Bupa

Meet Bupa's CareerTrackers interns - CareerTrackers interns with Dwayne Crombie. Natasha Ward, Tatiana Estrada and Samual Fisher

The woman who inspires me

Interning for the United Nations

For those who don’t know; Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5-25.

I’m bursting with pride that we can play a part to support a service so important for the wellbeing of Australian kids and families.

Experienced Kids Helpline counsellors, Jessica and Tony, shared their insights into how young people feel about bullying and anxiety, and provided valuable ideas and support for our parents and carers in the room, me being one!

For anyone out there who’d love to get the ball rolling, our Bupa Family Challenge gives you free and fun weekly inspiration, to make the most of the everyday moments to talk, connect and improve family wellbeing.

And for those with kids in primary school, check out the Kids Helpline Wellbeing at School program.

Thanks to Bupa’s support, the free program connects over 10,000 primary school students across Australia to personalised virtual classroom sessions covering topics like bullying, resilience, friendship and safety.

Kids Helpline is Australia’s only free, private and confidential 24/7 phone and online counselling service for young people aged 5 to 25 – call 1800 55 1800 or visit kidshelpline.com.au

October is Mental Health month and I’m so proud to be part of an organisation that connects our customers and our people to better health and wellbeing.

Written by Jane Power, Chief Marketing and Customer Officer at Bupa A&NZ.

UP NEXT:

Kids Helpline and Bupa to take on mental health and bullying in schools program

Bupa Australia and Kids Helpline inspire resilience through schools program

Have a caring conversation this R U OK? Day

These conversations give you a chance to connect and support the wellbeing of those around you, and check-in with those who may be struggling.

Emily Meates, Mental Health and Wellbeing Specialist talks about the importance of preventative mental health awareness and what Bupa is doing to help raise awareness is this space.

“Preventative mental health awareness campaigns have never been more important as eight people die by suicide each day Australia and every 16 hours a New Zealander takes their own life.

“Bupa had 54 sites across Australia participating in raising awareness of suicide prevention and having caring conversations. These sites have opted in to receive an ‘activation pack’, which includes R U OK? Day merchandise, useful resources, internal and external avenues of support for mental illness and crisis situations, and decorations and posters to help create visibility.

“The activation pack initiative was first launched at Bupa in 2017, and this year we have seen a 30% increase in uptake, which is really positive.

“Each year, we hope to get bigger and better as more people begin to support and raise awareness of this very significant campaign,” said Ms Meates.

There are many reasons people may be struggling, from suicidal thoughts to financial crisis, relationship struggles and mental health issues.

It is time to start, and continue, conversations that can help those you care about open-up, feel supported and find ways to better manage what's on their mind.

If you are feeling suicidal, or facing a crisis, please seek immediate help:

In Australia:

Lifeline – 13 11 14 (available 24/7)

Suicide Call Back Service – 1300 659 467 (available 24/7)

Kids Helpline (for young people aged 5 to 25 years): 1800 55 1800

In New Zealand:

Lifeline: 0800 543 354 (available 24/7)

Suicide Crisis Helpline: 0508 828 865 (0508 TAUTOKO) (available 24/7)

Kidsline (for children and teens): 0800 54 37 54 (available 24/7)

Find out more about R U OK? Day and the resources available.

UP NEXT:

Bupa Australia and Kids Helpline inspire resilience through schools program

Rosalyn spoke about how Bupa has conducted research with its own employees and found while 25% reported a healthy diet, 86% said they wanted to be healthier.

Through this research, 2-3 years ago, Rosalyn said, Bupa started slowly transitioning their office vending machines to include low-sugar and low-salt snacks, such as air popped popcorn and low sugar drinks.

Tom asked if this is a way of removing temptations for people, with Rosalyn explaining it's exactly what they're doing. However, Rosalyn says it is about shaping an environment with healthier options being available to employees.

Healthier vending machines include food and drink labelled with green, amber and red dots. The traffic light system identifies foods nutritious value of food by the colours. Eg. Green= healthiest option Amber= moderate rating Red= least healthy.

Rosalyn also touched on the FoodSwitch app which was developed by Bupa and The George Institute to help Australians make healthier food choices when grocery shopping.

Scanning the barcode of a packaged food gives you easy-to-understand nutritional information with either traffic-light style or Health Star Rating (HSR) labels so you can see at a glance how healthy the food item is.

Listen to the full interview below.

Bupa was the industry partner of this year’s challenge that was split into two streams, one open to the public, and another for university students.

Finalists pitched their ideas to an expert judging panel to be in the running for a range of prizes, and contribute to the future of Australia's health and wellness industry.

Telstra and its sponsors provided qualifying teams with everything they needed to get their ideas up and running, including a development kit designed specifically for Australian innovators and developers.

The teams across both Challenge streams worked to design, build and code hardware devices including wearable devices and diagnostic systems.

Teams showed how IoT technologies could be used to improve the lives of patients and their carers, and in assisting those who work in the healthcare industry in providing the best care.

Cindy Shay, Bupa’s Director Health Partnerships and Innovation was on the judging panel for the challenge and witnessed the incredible creations teams came up with.

“To get the most out of our health system, identifying opportunities to empower both the individual as well as health professionals is important. We have seen teams apply their thinking and problem-solving to both groups across a range of real-world scenarios,” says Bupa’s Innovation lead, Gemma Cosgriff.

“I have been impressed with the effort that teams have put in to solve for problems which exist in health and care today. I’ve seen some great teamwork, creativity and passion across both the university and public teams. It’s been a great opportunity for everyone involved.” she adds.

Find out more about the 2018 Telstra Innovation Challenge winners and their innovative projects.

Public Stream Winner – Lynxx

"Sitting is the new smoking" - Ergorithm is a wearable device that strives to promote a desirable posture for its users. The team produced a belt using the Cat M1 board and a sensor, which can be calibrated based on the specific user, to monitor the user’s lower back posture and give real time feedback (i.e. alert if bad posture). In the future the design could be extended to also cover neck posture.

University Stream Winner – Team Laika (RMIT)

The Me-MG, a wearable EMG biofeedback unit, empowers users to exercise during home based rehabilitation by giving them real time feedback on their level of muscle activation and movement extension through a number of on-body lights and a display screen. One light will indicate the degree of flex in the knee and the other the muscle activation; together they will be an accurate measure of how well the patient is performing the exercise. The device must be calibrated to the individual by their physio based on custom thresholds that can be updated remotely over our dashboard. The dashboard is accessible to both the patients and the physios, and is a platform where they can access the muscle activity and flex data directly, review analytics, data tends, and set themselves or their patient’s goal for their rehabilitation over all.

Innovation Winner – Health is Wealth

A Point of Care (PoC) diagnostic system to detect presence and severity of Xerostomia (a.k.a Dry Mouth condition). One of the sensors measures the salivary flow rate implanted or by the way of removable prosthetics inserted in the mouth by a dentist. The other custom-built sensor measures volatile organic compounds (gases) coming out of the mouth. These sensors are connected to the IoT development board and the data from these sensors will be analysed using machine learning to improve the quality of condition detection.

Congratulations to all the winners.

The 2018 Telstra Innovation Challenge finalist pitching awards event was held at Telstra Labs in Melbourne on 26 May.

Find out more about the 2018 Telstra Innovation Challenge.

Photo and video credits to Telstra.

UP NEXT:

Australia’s brightest tech minds compete to solve major health challenges