By Aisha Espinosa

staff writer

@aishaespinosa1

In one of the Coppell Senior and Community Center’s meeting rooms, a laid back atmosphere has taken over. Underneath the underlying familiarity between two of the the attendees and the presenter, Accountable Care and Accountable Patients Health president Todd Witthorne, is a buzzing, enthusiastic energy.

The beginning of the Healthy Habits seminar, with those eager to learn about healthy habits, laid the foundation of the energetic, educational experience on Oct. 14.

Witthorne led the seminar, withthe hour and a half long class focusing on what citizens could to do to make their lives healthier and what habits they could change.

“The key thing is that the body will do what we ask it to do,” Witthorne said. “But it is not about willpower – it is about skillpower.”

Integrating a bit of psychology with the hard facts of research, Witthorne talked about the the stages of change that take place with any major shift in life, but especially that of a healthier person.

Quoting Buddha, he commented that only when the student is ready, will the teacher appear.

“It does not matter how much someone else wants you to build healthier habits. In the end, only you can,” Woitthorne said.

According to Witthorne, changing a lifestyle does not have to be some big, sudden thing.

“With healthy habits, it is about baby step. Baby steps are huge, here,” Witthornesaid.

It could be as simple as walking five more minutes each day, or adding a piece of fruit to lunch. Over time, these baby steps canhave a bigger impact than imagined.

Witthorne, who travels around the country for ACAP Health, closed the session with a question and answer period. The “students” jumped at the opportunity, eager to get a headstart on changing their lives, one step at a time.