Healthy Communiction at Work and at Home
Learn practical, easy‑to‑use communication skills that support clarity, respect, and stronger relationships in both professional and personal settings.
Susan Countryman
About Susan Countryman
Posts by Susan Countryman:
Overhead Press With Dumbbells
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, July 8! This month we are highlighting Point West Optical Sales. The focus of this month is utilizing dumbbell exercises, and you can use weighted items such as books or water bottles if you don’t have weights. Use good form and start slowly with each repetition.
Marc Anthony Rosario is a Point West optician with 15 years of experience, including nine with Kaiser Permanente. Though he has been working out since 2012, his daily interaction with active, thriving elderly patients inspired him to further refine his long-term health habits. He used this motivation to modify his lifestyle, aligning his personal health journey, with his professional role in patient care.
Marc Anthony maintains this commitment by training each day at the Point West employee gym, focusing on CrossFit and bodybuilding. He optimizes his schedule by combining fasted morning sessions with a second workout during his lunch break. This midday routine allows him to save money while staying disciplined with his nutrition. Most importantly, it removes any temptation to make poor food choices during the workday.
Marc’s goal is to be a healthy, lasting role model for his two daughters, ages 6 and 4. By learning from his youth, he is building the longevity required to enjoy outdoor hiking, camping, and swimming with them, trying to set a strong example his daughters can live by as they grow up.
Exercise: Overhead Press
How to perform: Grab your weight and lift your arm parallel to the ground with your elbow at 90 degrees. Exhale, straighten your arm and push the weight above your head. Inhale, slowly lower back down to starting position.
Duration: Repeat for 10 repetitions on the right and left side.
Bicep Curl With Dumbbells
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, July 8! This month we are highlighting Point West Optical Sales. The focus of this month is utilizing dumbbell exercises, and you can use weighted items such as books or water bottles if you don’t have weights. Use good form and start slowly with each repetition.
Marc Anthony Rosario is a Point West optician with 15 years of experience, including nine with Kaiser Permanente. Though he has been working out since 2012, his daily interaction with active, thriving elderly patients inspired him to further refine his long-term health habits. He used this motivation to modify his lifestyle, aligning his personal health journey, with his professional role in patient care.
Marc Anthony maintains this commitment by training each day at the Point West employee gym, focusing on CrossFit and bodybuilding. He optimizes his schedule by combining fasted morning sessions with a second workout during his lunch break. This midday routine allows him to save money while staying disciplined with his nutrition. Most importantly, it removes any temptation to make poor food choices during the workday.
Marc’s goal is to be a healthy, lasting role model for his two daughters, ages 6 and 4. By learning from his youth, he is building the longevity required to enjoy outdoor hiking, camping, and swimming with them, trying to set a strong example his daughters can live by as they grow up.
Exercise: Bicep Curl
How to perform: Hold the weight with your palm facing up. Exhale, curl the weight up to your arm and shoulder. Exhale, slowly lower the weight back to starting position. Avoid swaying while performing this exercise.
Duration: Repeat for 10 repetitions on the right and left side.
Lateral Raise With Dumbbells
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, July 15! This month we are highlighting Point West Optical Sales. The focus of this month is utilizing dumbbell exercises, and you can use weighted items such as books or water bottles if you don’t have weights. Use good form and start slowly with each repetition.
Marc Anthony Rosario is a Point West optician with 15 years of experience, including nine with Kaiser Permanente. Though he has been working out since 2012, his daily interaction with active, thriving elderly patients inspired him to further refine his long-term health habits. He used this motivation to modify his lifestyle, aligning his personal health journey, with his professional role in patient care.
Marc Anthony maintains this commitment by training each day at the Point West employee gym, focusing on CrossFit and bodybuilding. He optimizes his schedule by combining fasted morning sessions with a second workout during his lunch break. This midday routine allows him to save money while staying disciplined with his nutrition. Most importantly, it removes any temptation to make poor food choices during the workday.
Marc’s goal is to be a healthy, lasting role model for his two daughters, ages 6 and 4. By learning from his youth, he is building the longevity required to enjoy outdoor hiking, camping, and swimming with them, trying to set a strong example his daughters can live by as they grow up.
Exercise: Lateral Raise
How to perform: Hold the weight with a firm grip. Exhale, lift your arm parallel to the ground. Inhale, slowly lower your arm to starting position. Try to keep your elbow straight at all times.
Duration: Repeat for 10 repetitions on the right and left side.
Front Squat With Dumbbells
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, July 22! This month we are highlighting Point West Optical Sales. The focus of this month is utilizing dumbbell exercises, and you can use weighted items such as books or water bottles if you don’t have weights. Use good form and start slowly with each repetition.
Marc Anthony Rosario is a Point West optician with 15 years of experience, including nine with Kaiser Permanente. Though he has been working out since 2012, his daily interaction with active, thriving elderly patients inspired him to further refine his long-term health habits. He used this motivation to modify his lifestyle, aligning his personal health journey, with his professional role in patient care.
Marc Anthony maintains this commitment by training each day at the Point West employee gym, focusing on CrossFit and bodybuilding. He optimizes his schedule by combining fasted morning sessions with a second workout during his lunch break. This midday routine allows him to save money while staying disciplined with his nutrition. Most importantly, it removes any temptation to make poor food choices during the workday.
Marc’s goal is to be a healthy, lasting role model for his two daughters, ages 6 and 4. By learning from his youth, he is building the longevity required to enjoy outdoor hiking, camping, and swimming with them, trying to set a strong example his daughters can live by as they grow up.
Exercise: Front Squat
How to perform: Hold the weight with both hands and keep your chest lifted and core engaged. Inhale, push your hips back as if you were sitting in a chair and shift your weight to your heels. Exhale, stand up tall, lock out your knees and extend your hips.
Duration: Repeat for 10 repetitions.
Side Bend With Dumbbells
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, July 29! This month we are highlighting Point West Optical Sales. The focus of this month is utilizing dumbbell exercises, and you can use weighted items such as books or water bottles if you don’t have weights. Use good form and start slowly with each repetition.
Marc Anthony Rosario is a Point West optician with 15 years of experience, including nine with Kaiser Permanente. Though he has been working out since 2012, his daily interaction with active, thriving elderly patients inspired him to further refine his long-term health habits. He used this motivation to modify his lifestyle, aligning his personal health journey, with his professional role in patient care.
Marc Anthony maintains this commitment by training each day at the Point West employee gym, focusing on CrossFit and bodybuilding. He optimizes his schedule by combining fasted morning sessions with a second workout during his lunch break. This midday routine allows him to save money while staying disciplined with his nutrition. Most importantly, it removes any temptation to make poor food choices during the workday.
Marc’s goal is to be a healthy, lasting role model for his two daughters, ages 6 and 4. By learning from his youth, he is building the longevity required to enjoy outdoor hiking, camping, and swimming with them, trying to set a strong example his daughters can live by as they grow up.
Exercise: Side Bend
How to perform: Hold the weight with a firm grip. Inhale, slowly lower the weight down to the ground while maintaining a straight spine and avoid leaning forward and rounding your back. You should feel a deep stretch on the side of your body. Exhale, return back to starting position.
Duration: Repeat for 10 repetitions on both sides.
Stress Proofing Your Day
Learn simple strategies to manage daily stress and create habits that support calm and well-being throughout the day.
Emotional First Aid for Cargivers
Learn simple, compassionate strategies to recognize emotional strain, respond to stress in healthy ways, and protect your well‑being while caring for others. This class offers practical tools you can use anytime to stay grounded, resilient, and supported.
Wall Sits
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, June 3! This month we are highlighting Mental Health. Dr. Maja Mircic, board-certified physician, will demonstrate these exercises. Dr. Mircic is a fitness enthusiast and loves all forms of exercise. She is proud to work for Kaiser Permanente and lead this month’s exercises, which focus on utilizing a wall for various strength, core, and stretching!
Dr. Mircic has been with Kaiser Permanente for a decade and is the Assistant Chief of Interventional Psychiatry Services. To ensure that she is at her best for her patients, she prioritizes her own physical and mental well-being. She loves starting her mornings before work with group exercise classes, combining rowing, boxing, and weight training. Building this physical strength gives her the energy and resilience needed to have a productive workday.
She is also a certified rescue scuba diver. She loves exploring and cleaning our oceans, learning about marine ecosystems, and connecting with the diverse global community of fellow diving enthusiasts.
Finally, Dr. Mircic is a proud physician for Kaiser Permanente. She states that is a profound privilege to work alongside her dedicated team to make a meaningful difference in our patients’ lives every day.
Exercise: Wall Sit
How to perform: Find an empty wall and place your spine against the wall. Lower your body until your knees are 90 degrees, keep your core tight, and place your hands against your hips.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds and repeat multiple times throughout the day.
Modified Wall Sits
Welcome to your Workout of the Week, June 10! This month we are highlighting Mental Health. Dr. Maja Mircic, board-certified physician, will demonstrate these exercises. Dr. Mircic is a fitness enthusiast and loves all forms of exercise. She is proud to work for Kaiser Permanente and lead this month’s exercises, which focus on utilizing a wall for various strength, core, and stretching!
Dr. Mircic has been with Kaiser Permanente for a decade and is the Assistant Chief of Interventional Psychiatry Services. To ensure that she is at her best for her patients, she prioritizes her own physical and mental well-being. She loves starting her mornings before work with group exercise classes, combining rowing, boxing, and weight training. Building this physical strength gives her the energy and resilience needed to have a productive workday.
She is also a certified rescue scuba diver. She loves exploring and cleaning our oceans, learning about marine ecosystems, and connecting with the diverse global community of fellow diving enthusiasts.
Finally, Dr. Mircic is a proud physician for Kaiser Permanente. She states that is a profound privilege to work alongside her dedicated team to make a meaningful difference in our patients’ lives every day.
Exercise: Modified Wall Sit
How to perform: Perform a regular wall sit from last week but modify by raising one foot off the ground while keeping the knee straight. Keep your core tight, and try to hover your foot. A modification is to raise your foot and lower to the ground.
Duration: Hold for 20 seconds and repeat on both sides.