As you’ll have seen over the last couple of months, CEMEX’s Cardi-O campaign is encouraging employees to eat better and do more regular exercise, because of the positive impact it can have on our heart and overall health.
Choosing to follow a healthier lifestyle can feel overwhelming, particularly when we are bombarded with news about the latest faddy diet or fitness trend. It can be difficult to know where to start!
However, hearing from others who have succeeded in making positive changes can be very inspiring. Mike Higgins has kindly shared his health story with us, and we hope this helps others to evaluate their lifestyle and see what they can do to improve their wellbeing!
Employee Testimonial: Mike Higgins, National Technical Manager, CEMEX UK
“A couple of years ago I went to a conference led by our asphalt business. Part of this day included a section on health and wellbeing, with an employee (Trevor Golding) talking about his health journey. I could see that Trevor had lost a lot of weight and he looked much healthier. He explained that he didn’t do anything dramatic or overwhelming instead making small changes to his diet and doing more exercise.
At the time I knew I was overweight and I wasn’t living very healthily – and a blood pressure check later in the day confirmed this! This showed me I had to make a change. However, listening to Trevor really inspired me – seeing someone I could relate to made it seem much easier as I knew that if he could do it, I could too.
Since then I’ve made small changes to my diet, cutting down on unhealthy snacks such as crisps for instance. I also make sure I’m more active, going for regular walks. I haven’t committed to any exhausting exercise regimes or fad diets, just made simple, healthier choices – exactly what the Cardi-O campaign encourages us to do.
I’ve noticed a real difference. I’ve lost weight and my blood pressure level has improved. I also feel much better in myself. I hope sharing my story encourages other employees; it’s easier than you think to make small, positive changes that have a big impact.”
Trevor Golding, Asphalt Sales Manager, added: “It is very humbling to hear about the positive impression my words had on Mike. As I move further into my fifties I am still keeping healthy and maintaining my weight, five years after making the effort (like Mike) to change the small things. I am a particular advocate of Parkrun, a weekly, free 5k run around your local park, it’s for all ages and abilities, is very well organised with the emphasis on fun and keeping fit (not racing), many CEMEX employees already enjoy it and it is worth exploring if you are new to running or wish to be more active [find out more here: https://www.parkrun.org.uk/]. In fact, I am running my first Marathon (in Manchester) in October, something I would never have thought possible five years ago!”
We’ve created a simple poster featuring Mike’s testimony which can be found in the download section of the UK News website: Cardi-O Employee Testimonial poster (742 downloads)