{"id":50991,"date":"2016-01-15T08:25:00","date_gmt":"2016-01-15T14:25:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/news.olemiss.edu\/?p=50991"},"modified":"2016-01-15T12:33:58","modified_gmt":"2016-01-15T18:33:58","slug":"wellness-rebel-vanessa-cook","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/web20.olemiss.edu\/news\/wordpress\/wellness-rebel-vanessa-cook\/","title":{"rendered":"Wellness Rebel: Vanessa Cook"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Vanessa<\/a>

Cook incorporates bike rides into her workout routine.<\/p><\/div>\n

OXFORD, Miss. \u2013 Vanessa Cook, diagnosed with a fast-progressing form of rheumatoid arthritis in 2008, repeatedly walks up and down the steep steps of Vaught-Hemingway Stadium for exercise each week.<\/span><\/p>\n

Taking those steps is no small feat considering her pain and other struggles at the time of her diagnosis.<\/span><\/p>\n

“I struggled for a few years to find a drug regimen to slow the progression,” Cook said. “During that time, I dealt with a lot of pain, fatigue and joint damage that prevented me from continuing my normal activities. This also led to a substantial weight gain and a lack of energy to put into healthy eating and exercise.”<\/span><\/p>\n

Two years ago, Cook, now a project manager in University of Mississippi Department of Outreach and Continuing Education<\/a>, began changing her behaviors to become healthier. The change came around the time of the Campus Fitness Challenge, which is sponsored by UM Campus Recreation<\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n