December 21, 2018Welcome!Enjoy your holiday season. You can continue to be healthy! Read on for ways to support your health.

Join any of our Wisconsin Union Health and Wellness events that can help you achieve your goals and be more healthy and well while here in the Wisconsin Union and in life. The Spring Workplace Workout at the Union is one of the ways.

Go Green for the Holidays1

We constantly work to keep ourselves healthy, but now it's time to make sure the world is staying healthy too. As we go into 2019 going green making sustainable choices every day will help us live long healthy lives. For the holiday season, simple actions can have a positive effect on the environment. Consider using less packaging while wrapping presents or using creative coverings that otherwise would have been tossed, decorating energy efficiently, containers when transporting foods, and cut back on the holiday lights (orLED strings).

Try out these little changes to start, and  visit the CDC to find out how to become more sustainable in the new year!

Winter Walks at the ArboretumSick of being stuck inside this winter? Grab some friends and head to the arboretum to explore! With walks   offerred   weekly , you can get moving and enjoy the beauty of the arboretum--even in the snow!

Beat Holiday Stress this Season2

As we near the end of December, people can at times feel overwhelmed and out of control as the holidays approach. This time can be spent relaxing with loved ones, and not stressing! Try these 5 tips to enjoy your holiday break. Click here for more information from the American Heart Association.

1. Keep Up Healthy Habitis!2. Beware of Party Perils- the large amount of unhealthy foods generally served at holiday

parties3. Stay Active - don't let the hustle and bustle distract you from your workout routine4. Give Yourself the Gift of Peace - you deserve a break! Take a moment for yourself and

relax5. Set a Plan for the New Year - make goals to accomplish in 2019 to help guide your

healthy life 

3

Traveling Abroad Over Break?Stay Healthy and Safe!Many students and staff are wonderfully traveling abroad for winter break. When traveling it's helpful to practice healthy habits before you go, while you are there, and

4

when you return. Check out the links below for some travel tips and enjoy your educational travel time!

10 Ways to Stay Healthy Abroad Staying Healthy Abroad (US Department of State) How to Stay Healthy Abroad Top 10 Tips for Healthy Travel

Step Up Your ExerciseYou’re invited to participate in the Staff Step Challenge hosted by Rec Sports continuing until February 28! This friendly competition uses activity trackers or smart phones to record your steps, and prizes are awarded to top steppers at the end of each month (and the division with the highest percentage of participants).

Join any time between now and the end of February to make sure your activity gets counted. Points reset at the start of each month, so whether you’re training for a marathon or looking to progress on your 2019 fitness goals, it’s never too late to get started! Click herefor answers to any questions about the Step Challenge.

5

Here is an amazing opportunity to participate in a FREE campus-wide challenge and get healthy at the same time!, says Wisconsin Union Director Mark Guthier.

5 Practical Skills for Holiday Hosting

It’s not easy for those playing the part of host or hostess with the "mostest” at the holidays. A lot of time, effort, and planning goes into making merry with family and friends. In all the excitement of getting the house and food ready for guests, honest mistakes, minor mishaps, and even life-threatening emergencies can happen. Some accidents are just that ... accidents; others—like turkey fryer fires—are often preventable. You can prepare for all of them. Read the Blog.

Workplace Workouts at the Union for Spring Semester - Save the dateMany of us spend much of our day sitting at a desk. The Workplace Workout program gives you a reason to take a break, get up, and move. A Recreational Sports Personal Trainer will guide you through weekly lunchtime workouts and exercises that you can do anywhere. All fitness levels and

6

abilities are welcome. You do not need to be a member of Rec Sports to participate. Each series is $30 with Wisconsin Union employees discounted to be 1/2 the price of at $15/series. Registration link will be in the next newsletter.

MEMORIAL UNION, TUESDAYS, 11:45 am - 12:30 pm, TITUSpring 1: January 21 - February 25

Spring 2: March 4 - April 8 Spring 3: April 15 - May 21

 UNION SOUTH, WEDNESDAYS, 11:45 AM - 12:30 PM, TITU

Spring 4:  Feb 6 - March 13 (March 6 is a meditation day)Spring 4: March 27 - May 1

Could Exercise Save Your Brain?Lace Up Your Sneakers to Have Exercise Save Your Brain

In a study published in the journal Neurology   (online Dec. 19, 2018),  160 volunteers with an average age of 65 tested the benefits of aerobic exercise, a DASH diet, a combination of the two, or health education sessions. The participants had cognitive impairments but no dementia when the study began. They completed cognitive tests to assess their executive function–the ability to plan, organize and make judgments.

Those who exercised for 45 minutes three times a week for six months made significant gains in tests of executive function. Adding the vegetable-rich DASH diet to the exercise helped even more. The improvement was the mental equivalent of dropping nine years from their age. That’s

7

pretty impressive.

Read more at People's Pharmacy.

Food & Financial Assistance During the Holidays36% of students at 66 colleges and Universities do not get enough to eat (2018 study by Wisconsin HOPE Lab and Template University).

The Dean of Students Office provides resources to students struggling with a variety of issues and seeks to be the "go to" spot for student assistance on campus, by phone, in-person, or online.

70 Bascom Hall, 608-263-5700, doso.students.wisc.edu/student-assistance

Help Other Students by donating food to The Open Seat

Non-perishable food items (rice, dry beans, grains, cans of food, etc.) Non-expired Unopened toiletries: toothpaste, soap, shampoo, dish soap, etc.

Additional resources include:

Slow Food UW The Campus Kitchens   Project Food Recovery Network- Free Student Lunches UW Campus Food Shed Lutheran Campus Center  Lunch FH King - Harvest Handouts The Open Seat Community Resources and   S.N.A.P. Diall 211 Badger Fare

 

8

Prepare Your Vehicle for Winter Weather

Learn more from the CDC.

Start the Year Off Easily Tracking Your FinancesAs you start the new year, would you like to keep track of all of your financial data--savings/checking, credit score, credit card transactions, upcoming bills, your monthly budget, and more--all in one location?

Mint.com is a free, simple and highly-recommended tool that allows this. Credit card purchases are also automatically placed in likely expense/budget accounts (food, gas, rent/mortgage, utilities, etc.). It even gives the capability to enter in your investment/financials allowing one to track all information in one location.

Simply allow one hour to enter in all of your passwords. Then sit back--each time you then

9

open mint.com on your computer or your phone app, you will see all financial information easily in one location. 

Take the Stairs!Too cold to make it to the gym? The easiest way to get your daily exercise this winter is simply taking the stairs! It improves cardiovascular fitness, strengthens muscles, and reduces the risk of stroke. Whether it's 2 flights or 20, you'll be happier with your health if you take the stairs!

Complete the Union Health and Wellness Survey!  

In an effort to plan, develop, and continue to implement activities that support the well-being of our Wisconsin Union employees and student leaders, we ask that you give us feedback. Complete the surveyto share your health perceptions, interests, and

needs. Thank you.

Click here to see details of Union Health and Wellness calendar of events

Facebook

Events Calendar

Email

Twitter

10

Health and Wellness Team: Jim Rogers (Coordinator),Madison Yachinich (Marketing Coordinator), Lizzie Adamec, Jason Proctor, Jennifer Brown,

Steven Christiansen and Taylor Frankin. 

With support from Stephanie Webendorfer, Wisconsin Union Marketing 

Funded by The Wisconsin Union Director's Fund 

11