UNews - Wellness Committee

Heart Smart Challenge nears conclusion

trevor.kenney — Tue, 31 May 2011 16:43:22 +0000

The 7th Annual Bee Heart Smart Challenge is on again, beginning May 1, the program runs through June 13.

The idea is to walk, run, swim, cycle or just be active. Just over a week old, this year's challenge is already off to a great start. One of the twists this time around was the introduction of a Name Your Team contest. Following are some of the best names of the bunch: Anderson Walkers; Bookin' It; Bookmobiles!; Dust Bunny Wranglers; Gong Show; Health Science Heelers; I Can Do Bad All By Myself; KYA; Mahon Tracker; Registrollers; The Wonderous Wellness Walkers; Victorious Secret presents the Markin Chix in Risky Business; Walker's Walkers; WebGeeks.

The goal of the challenge is to promote an increase in activity and improve health through walking, running, swimming, cycling or other physical activity. Establishing a lifelong habit of physical activity doesn't just happen automatically. Making movement a part of everyday life is an intentional act. Let's make the conscious decision to be active everyday – but have fun while doing so!

How do you record your activity?

Walking/Running – Each step you take all day, every day counts. You can either record your distance or your steps. Prizes will be awarded for both.
Swimming – Each 50-metre lap you swim is counted.
Cycling – Cycling is measured either in time cycled or kilometres cycled. You can record one or the other. Again, prizes will be awarded for both.

Time spent performing another physical activity includes examples such as lifting weights, yoga, pilates or hiking, just to name a few.

You can enter your steps, laps, km or minutes weekly or daily on the Bee Heart Smart website (https://www.uleth.ca/hum/wellness/walking/).

If you haven't entered yet, you can enter or join a team at any time during the challenge. Enter as a team or an individual – the Bee Heart Smart site is open now on the Wellness website and Notice Board.

The Anderson Walkers (Katharine Winter, Cindy Matheson and Joyce Eves) are the Early Bird winners for this year (registrants who entered prior to April 21).

We also have some Busy Bee Champions to help keep us motivated. Look for entries from President Mike Mahon (the Mahon Trackers), Vice-President Finance Nancy Walker (Walkers' Walkers), and Kevin McFadzen (KYA) from Sport and Recreation Services (just try to beat his cycling minutes).

Also new to the challenge this year are weekly contests. They are as follows.

Week 2 (May 8-14) – Take the Stairs!
Week 3 (May 15-21) – Walk in the Great Outdoors, with presentations and walks led by the Helen Schuler Nature Centre
Week 4 (May 22-28) – Nutrition for Physical Activity
Week 5 (May 29 to June 4) – Fitness Funnies Contest
Week 6 (June 5-13) – Walk in to Work Out, Park and Walk

The U of L Bookstore, Sport and Recreation Services and AUPE donate prizes for the Bee Heart Smart Challenge. Thanks also to the U of L Wellness Committee.

Quick Facts about physical activity:

• A 30-minute walk burns about 150 calories. If you walked every day for six months, you'd burn off five pounds.

• Physical activity causes the body to use up glucose, thereby helping to keep blood sugar levels in a normal range. This explains why regular exercise is so critical, not only in preventing diabetes, but also in enhancing the health of people already living with the disorder.

• Regular physical activity helps control weight, reduces body fat, improves the body's response to insulin and strengthens the heart, making it one of the best things you can do to support your health.

• With so much time being spent on the job, practicing healthy habits in the workplace has become just as vital to overall health and well-being as living well at home. In order to keep moving on the job, get up to walk and stretch every 20 minutes. Physical activity stimulates blood flow, relaxes muscles and reduces stress.

I hope to see you keeping your heart healthy this year…and having fun while doing so!

Suzanne McIntosh is the Wellness co-ordinator for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

This story first appeared in the Legend. For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Bee Heart Smart Chellnge in full swing

trevor.kenney — Tue, 17 May 2011 20:30:47 +0000

The 7th Annual Bee Heart Smart Challenge is on again, beginning May 1, the program runs through June 13.

How do you record your activity?

Time spent performing another physical activity includes examples such as lifting weights, yoga, pilates or hiking, just to name a few.

You can enter your steps, laps, km or minutes weekly or daily on the Bee Heart Smart website (https://www.uleth.ca/hum/wellness/walking/).

Also new to the challenge this year are weekly contests. They are as follows.

The U of L Bookstore, Sport and Recreation Services and AUPE donate prizes for the Bee Heart Smart Challenge. Thanks also to the U of L Wellness Committee.

Quick Facts about physical activity:

• A 30-minute walk burns about 150 calories. If you walked every day for six months, you'd burn off five pounds.

I hope to see you keeping your heart healthy this year…and having fun while doing so!

Suzanne McIntosh is the Wellness co-ordinator for the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Lunching & learning

trevor.kenney — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 21:26:34 +0000

This month, I would like to highlight and recognize a group of individuals that works very hard here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ. Susan Vanderaegen, Chris Groves, Joanne Gedrasik and Sharon Kanashiro are all caretakers from our Facilities department. They have faithfully attended most, if not all, of the Wellness Lunch and Learn sessions since 2009 (when I first started working here). Recently, they persuaded another caretaker, Ed Sandzewicz, to join them, saying, "Ed either comes along or he gets left behind!"

I have been very impressed with their dedication and interest in health and wellness issues and I wanted to highlight their reasons for attending the sessions and what they are getting out of them.

Reasons for attending

• "The Wellness Lunch and Learn sessions are interesting and informative. The opportunity to learn something new is appreciated. Sometimes the information or topic is something you know or knew at one time, but have forgotten, and the lunch and learn helps bring it into focus again."

They also added that, "It's also a nice break at the end of the work day," as the majority of our caretakers are up and working to keep our campus clean before the rest of us are even awake.

What they like

• The group indicated that it enjoys the speakers and the variety of topics and that the sessions open their eyes to new ideas.

Positive lifestyle changes

• Having attended a number of sessions, they have been able to make some positive changes in their own lives. They are also passing on their knowledge and good habits to their families. Another benefit is that because they are attending or participating at work, they can be supportive to each other when maintaining or improving healthy habits.

These individuals have demonstrated that they care about their health and well-being and are interested in doing what they can to improve or maintain a balanced lifestyle. I would like to say thanks to Ed, Sharon, Joanne, Chris and Susan – we on the Wellness Committee are glad the information is getting out to you and hope that we can continue to support your interest and quest for that healthy life that we all desire.

If you haven't been out to a Lunch and Learn session, chat for a few minutes with these regulars and you may be persuaded to attend one as well. The next Lunch and Learn is Wednesday, Apr. 13 at noon in Andy's Place (AH100). Digesting the Nutrition Label is the topic with campus dietitian Diane Britton presenting on how to decipher those mysterious food labels.

It's time to register for the 7th Annual Bee Heart Smart physical activity challenge. In 2010 we had 15 teams registered and 125 individual participants. Our goal for 2011 is to make it the biggest even to date. You don't have to be the fastest runner or walker, and you don't have to record the most steps to be a winner – participation alone may get you a prize!

The Challenge starts May 1 and runs through June 12 and you can enter as an individual or a team on the Bee Heart Smart website (www.uleth.ca/hum/wellness/walking/). Prizes this year will be awarded for early bird registration (before Apr. 15) and for best team name.

Suzanne McIntosh is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's wellness co-ordinator

For a look at the Legend in a flipbook format, follow this link.

Wellness evident at Life Balance Fair

trevor.kenney — Tue, 23 Nov 2010 20:59:13 +0000

Our 4th Annual Life Balance Fair, promoting Health Workplace Month, proved to be very successful.

With over 45 exhibitors, a number of demonstrations and an opportunity to try out the U of L's Get Fit at Work – Stretch and Strengthen program, more than 200 visitors attended. Thanks to all of the exhibitors for donating their time and draw prizes. A special thanks goes out to the AUPE for their donation towards the healthy.

Following are prize winners from the Life Balance Fair:

Off Balance Team Challenge
Both the Cash Office and Housing had 100 per cent participation of their team

Wii Party Game
(Wellness Committee)
Bev West, Health Sciences

IPOD Shuffle
(Wellness Committee)
Jeanette Leusink, Printing

$100 gift certificate to Only Women's Fitness Spa (Alberta Workplace Solutions)
Karen Clearwater, Financial Planning

Bosu Total Training System
(Flaman Fitness)
Mary Dyck, Kinesiology

Sony Digital Camera (Chinook Respiratory Services)
Donna Court, Financial Services

Bosu Ball, Whey Protein, Gift Certificate (Go Mango)
Shelley Tuff , ULSU

Shoppers Drug Mart Tote bag (Shoppers Drug Mart)
Christine Groves, Caretaking

Pen, Notebook and Water Bottle (Canadian Mental Health Services)
Heidi DeHeer, Cash Office

Totebag and t-shirt coupon (Helen Schuler Nature Centre)
Abby Groenenboom, ULSU; Jesse Couture, Fitness Centre

Whole Food Meal Replacement (Go Mango)
Mary Anne Hellinga, Financial Services; Rebecca Seely, ROSS; Gayle Durand, ROSS Registry

Fitquest DVD
(Only Women's Fitness)
Linda Wever, Biology; Brenda Nixon, Kinesiology; Jodie Black, ROSS Recruitment

Swedgie (Stamina Clinic)
Joanne Golden, Biology

Coffee Mug (AB Emergency Management Services)
Jennifer Thannhauser, Education; Alesha Farfus-Shukaliak, Advancement

Automatic Millionaire book (Financial Health Club)
Linda Robison, HR

Blanket in Tote (Blue Cross)
Rob Wood, Sociology

Horns Combo Pass
(U of L Pronghorns)
Linda Kucheran, ROSS Recruitment

Holmes Eco Water Set (Holmes Water Service)
Rhonda Paisley, ROSS

First Aid Kit (AB Blue Cross)
Debbie Murphy, Arts and Science Advising

Spa Basket
(Eclipse Salon and Spa)
Mariette Beaudry, Arts and Science Advising

Fresh Pear Lotions
(Nirvana Energy)
Shelly Hutchinson, Ancillary Services

Tote Bag (Mercer Consulting)
Marguerite Anderson, Education; Mary Nugent, Health Sciences

Water Bottles
(Mercer Consulting)
Jacqueline Preyde, A&S Advising; Debbie Tarnava, Caretaking; Vern Leckie, Grounds

Handblown Glass necklace (YWCA)
Anne Baxter, Risk and Safety Services

Upcoming Wellness Events
November 8
Heart Healthy Eating Session II – Cholesterol. Noon to 1 p.m., Andy's Place

November 17
Lunch and Learn: BodyTalk by Terrasol. A form of healthcare that is safe, non-invasive and can be used to overcome many health challenges. A focus of bodytalk is to restore communication and re-synchronize functioning of the body/mind, thus activating the body's
innate ability to heal itself on all levels. Noon to 1 p.m., AH116.

Get Fit At Work – Stretch and Strengthen
If you are interested in getting more information about this program, contact wellness@uleth.ca to set up a session for your team.
Please send your comments, suggestions or feedback to suzanne.mcintosh@uleth.ca or wellness@uleth.ca

Suzanne McIntosh is the co-ordinator of wellness programs at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge

Activity challenge a good starting point

trevor.kenney — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 22:27:43 +0000

It may be hard to believe but the 6th Annual Bee Heart Smart physical activity challenge is nearly complete for another year. At last count, more than 125 participants and 15 teams had registered to take part in the annual challenge. My hope is that we meet our goal of surpassing last year's numbers (176 participants and 17 teams) by the time the challenge comes to a close.

I have heard many inspiring stories from those who have participated in the challenge this year, and you have all encouraged me to keep my numbers up. I was on the list of Top 10 Steppers for a short while, before being surpassed by some extremely dedicated participants. The continued determination of those top 10 folks (and my dog staring at me accusingly if I didn't take him for a walk) has helped spur me on to maintain my goal of 10,000 steps a day – even on those terribly windy, rainy or cold evenings.

The goal of the Bee Heart Smart challenge is to increase physical activity while participating in a fun challenge, and even if you don't win a prize, anyone who has participated is, in the end, a winner by striving to increase your own health and wellness. Congratulations to all who participated, and please check the Notice Board and Wellness website (www.uleth.ca/hum/wellness) for this year's winners.

The Wellness Committee has been working hard to develop a wellness plan for the U of L community.

In 2009-10, a number of Lunch and Learn education sessions were introduced, including: How's Your Financial Health?; Is Work Causing a Pain Your Back; Sleep Apnea; Holiday Eating Survival Tips; How to Maintain Your Brain; Recognizing Burnout; Stress Management Tools including Desktop Yoga; Eating for Cardiovascular Health; and Xeriscaping.

The Lunch and Learn sessions will continue in 2010-11 and some of the suggestions for topics include: back care and ergonomics; acupuncture, alternative or holistic health care treatments; humour and laughter in the workplace; emotional wellness; fitness evaluations; communication skills; stress management; and cardiovascular health.

If you have other suggestions or would like to explore a particular wellness topic, please let me know.

Other wellness planning includes the development of a U of L stretching and strengthening program (with a kinesiology applied studies student), the continuation of the employee vascular screening program and the possibility of another life balance fair in the fall. There will also continue to be the exploration and co-ordination of health and wellness resources on campus.

As usual, I welcome any comments, suggestions or feedback!

Suzanne McIntosh is the co-ordinator of wellness programs at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ

Health and wellness a U of L mission

trevor.kenney — Tue, 08 Jun 2010 20:58:36 +0000

By SUZANNE MCINTOSH

A year and a half ago I began my position at the U of L as the wellness co-ordinator. One of the major tasks identified for me was to build upon and lead the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's wellness initiatives. A large part of this was to formulate a Mission and Vision for Wellness at the U of L.

After many months and numerous consultations with outside organizations and post-secondary institutions (who have best practice wellness programs), internal departments, the U of L Wellness Committee, the human resource team, and many others within the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge, we now have a mission and vision of wellness for the institution. Thanks to the Wellness and the Joint Work Site Health and Safety Committees, for all their input and feedback, and to those employees who provided me with their definition of what wellness means to them.

I would like to take this opportunity to share some of the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge Wellness Mission and Vision. An important thing to remember is that this program belongs to the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ community and is a program that will change and grow as the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and its people change and grow.

Mission

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge recognizes our people are our greatest asset and that health and well-being is critical to overall ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ success.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is committed to empowering employees to fulfill their personal and collective health and wellness goals.

Vision Statement

That each person have the ability to seek knowledge, create health and wellness goals and attain their highest level of well-being.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes that individual pursuit of a balanced and fulfilled lifestyle enhances overall organizational health.

Principles

Wellness is an active, lifelong process of becoming aware of choices and making decisions toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Wellness involves identifying the priorities and personal needs in one's life and making changes in lifestyle behaviours that help one attain the highest level of health and well-being possible for that individual.

Wellness will be viable and prominent at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ, which will encourage employees to utilize wellness resources. This will result in increased employee satisfaction, which has been shown to increase productivity and decrease absenteeism.

The Wellness program will:

Support employees in creating a balanced, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

Support wellness initiatives and educational programs
• Health Screening
• Managed care and return to work programs (for both occupational and non-occupational injury/illness)
• Monthly lunch and learn sessions
• Ergonomic assessments
• Back health education and stretching program
• Life Balance fair, Wellness Week and Activity challenge

Wellness Committee

Support the U of L's existing internal responsibility focus and will continue to support a person's right to choice.

The Wellness program will interact with numerous stakeholders; on and off campus.

• Employees
• Wellness Committee
• Employee Assistance Program (EAP)
• Emergency Response Team
• Ergonomics
• Health Centre
• Human Resources
• Managed Care
• Pension and Benefits
• Risk and Safety Services
• Security Services
• Sport and Recreation Services
• Benefits Providers
• Workers' Compensation Board
• Community resources and service providers

The focus of the wellness program is on education, prevention and empowerment of each U of L employee. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge believes that the health and well-being of its employees is critical to overall productivity.

Wellness is an active, lifelong process of becoming aware of choices and making decisions toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Suzanne McIntosh is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's wellness co-ordinator

Health and wellness a U of L mission

trevor.kenney — Fri, 07 May 2010 21:40:37 +0000

A year and a half ago I began my position at the U of L as the wellness co-ordinator. One of the major tasks identified for me was to build upon and lead the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's wellness initiatives. A large part of this was to formulate a Mission and Vision for Wellness at the
U of L.

Mission

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge recognizes our people are our greatest asset and that health and well-being is critical to overall ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ success.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is committed to empowering employees to fulfill their personal and collective health and wellness goals.

Vision Statement

That each person have the ability to seek knowledge, create health and wellness goals and attain their highest level of well-being.

The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ recognizes that individual pursuit of a balanced and fulfilled lifestyle enhances overall organizational health.

Principles

Wellness is an active, lifelong process of becoming aware of choices and making decisions toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.

The Wellness program will:

Support employees in creating a balanced, healthy and fulfilling lifestyle.

Wellness Committee

Support the U of L's existing internal responsibility focus and will continue to support a person's right to choice.

The Wellness program will interact with numerous stakeholders; on and off campus.

The focus of the wellness program is on education, prevention and empowerment of each
U of L employee. The ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge believes that the health and well-being of its employees is critical to overall productivity.

Wellness is an active, lifelong process of becoming aware of choices and making decisions toward a more balanced and fulfilling life.

Suzanne McIntosh is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ's wellness co-ordinator

Finding a way to keep the winter blahs at bay

trevor.kenney — Wed, 03 Feb 2010 22:47:51 +0000

It's February, and I am finding it hard to keep the winter blahs away. The next few months are my least favorite because it seems like we have had winter (especially this year!) forever, and we are still too far away from spring to be thinking about golf or gardening.

So how can we keep the winter blahs at bay? Some suggestions:

• Plan a winter getaway

Whether it's a day at the ski hill, a trip to a different city (both Calgary and Medicine Hat are close enough for a day trip), or an all-out escape to a warm destination (my personal favorite), just thinking about and planning a getaway will give you something to look forward to.

• Register for a class or try something new

There are lots of free or inexpensive events happening at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ or throughout the city. The Galt Museum and Lethbridge Public Library have weekly events, and Lethbridge College offers one-night cooking classes throughout the semester.

• See a play or a musical performance

The U of L Faculty of Fine Arts has plenty of offerings in the next couple of months. Check their schedule at: www.uleth.ca/finearts/events

• Register for an upcoming run

The Moonlight Run is a fun one to do because your exhilarating evening walk or run is followed up with pizza. Proceeds of the run go to the Lethbridge Food Bank and the Lethbridge Coulee Clean Up program.

• Go for a walk

According to a study by the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Washington, people who took a brisk outdoor walk for 20 minutes a day showed better moods, higher self-esteem and an improved sense of well-being. Just 15 minutes outside will give you your Vitamin D fix for the day. Vitamin D is linked to boosting moods, creating healthy bones and helps ward off osteoporosis, LDL (or bad) cholesterol and heart disease. Given that February is heart month, it's a great time to start improving heart health!

Suzanne McIntosh is the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge coordinator of wellness programs

WINTER WALK DAY

February 10th is Winter Walk day here at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ and in Lethbridge. The Wellness Committee will have a table set up over the lunch hour, at the south doors of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness.

We encourage you to sign up so the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ can register the number of walkers participating that day. This can be a start for your training for the Bee Heart Smart contest coming up in only a few short months! Last year there were 82 registered walkers – let's see if we can beat this.

NAOSH WEEK

The U of L Risk and Safety Services and Wellness departments have been involved in the Southern AB NAOSH (North American Occupational Safety and Health) week for the past few years and the U of L has historically been a proud supporter of events for this week. The focus for NAOSH week will again be the Steps for Life walk to take place on May 1. All proceeds from the walk support the Threads of Life organization (www.threadsoflife.ca/threads), a national, registered charitable organization dedicated to supporting families along their journey of healing who have suffered from a workplace fatality, life-altering illness or occupational disease. The organization helps these families protect future generations of Canadian workers.

In 2009, the Southern AB NAOSH Committee raised $7043.67 that was donated to Threads of Life. This year, the committee is hoping to raise $10,000. The U of L is putting the challenge out to departments around campus to enter a team for the Steps of Life walk by registering at: http://stepsforlife.ca/Communities/Lethbridge.htm

The walk is a 5km walk around Henderson Lake. The registration fee of $100 per team (of 10 people) includes a barbecue, t-shirts, water bottles and draw prizes. Children are welcome and are free to enter. Visit Suzanne McIntosh in SU020E for a registration package.

Combat sleep apnea by attending Lunch and Learn

trevor.kenney — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 23:09:49 +0000

Do you find you are often tired, even after a full night's sleep?

Obstructive sleep apnea is a serious breathing problem that interrupts your sleep. This results in poor sleep quality that makes you tired during the day. Sleep apnea is one of the leading causes of excessive daytime sleepiness. Another symptom can be snoring and pauses in your breathing while sleeping.

This month's Wellness Lunch and Learn is focusing on sleep apnea. Shaun Wojtowicz, owner of Chinook Respiratory Care, will be on campus Nov. 17 in TH277 to discuss symptoms, signs and treatment for sleep apnea. Make sure you come and check out this informative topic over the lunch hour.

Obstructive sleep apnea means you have short pauses in your breathing when you sleep. These breathing pauses – called apneas or apnea events – last for 10 to 30 seconds, maybe longer. People with obstructive sleep apnea can stop breathing dozens or hundreds of times each night.

If it's not treated, sleep apnea can lead to major health problems, accidents, and even early death. Thankfully, there are excellent treatments for obstructive sleep apnea.

Signs and symptoms of obstructive sleep apnea:
• high blood pressure
• irritability, mood swings or depression
• gasping or choking during sleep
• tiredness or fatigue
• lack of concentration
• morning headaches
• memory problems/memory loss
• sexual dysfunction

The Women's Health Challenge (sponsored by Alberta Health Services Breast and Cervical Health program, Chinook Regional Hospital and Meyers Norris Penny) wrapped up at the end of October. A total of 30 women entered the challenge and have a chance to win a $100 gift certificate to the Keg. Thanks to all who had pap tests and mammograms from May 27 to Oct. 26 and good luck in the prize draw!

The Wellness Committee would like to thank all Life Balance Fair exhibitors, prize donors and especially participants that came out on Oct 21. Thanks also to AUPE, who donated $200 towards lunch. The Wii Sports Resort Game was won by Judy Jaeger, caretaking, and the Digital Camera (donated by Chinook Respiratory Care) was won by Chris Lastuka, Anthropology.

Prize winners and donors:
- Large First Aid Kit - donated by Blue Cross - Gwen Umeris

- Shopper's Gift Basket - Shopper's Drug Mart West - Pat Anderson

- Runner's Soul $50.00 Gift Card - Sharon Kanashiro

- Tickets to Opera Goes to the Movies - U of L Fine Arts - Brittanie Graham

- Tickets to Hay Fever - U of L Fine Arts - MaryAnne Hellinga

- Horns 10-game combo pass - U of L Sport and Rec Services - Aubrey Salloway and Chris Lastuka

- One-month facility membership - U of L Sport and Rec Services - Dirk Olsen

- Money Mentors one-hour session - Amanda Berg

- Mini first aid kits - Blue Cross - won by Kim Ordway, Barb Dudley, Judy Jaeger

- Aluminum water bottles - Blue Cross - Connie Chaplin, Betsy Greenlees

- Pedometers - Blue Cross - Doug Smith, Anita Salberg

- Fleece blanket in a bag - donated by Mercer - Louise Miller

- Water bottles - donated by Mercer - won by Katherine Wasiak, Sandra Wiest, Christine Groves, Charlene Sawatsky, Diane Layng

- Digital camera – donated by Chinook Respiratory Care – won by Chris Lastuka

Suzanne McIntosh, Wellness Co-ordinator

Life Balance Fair celebrates wellness

trevor.kenney — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 16:18:07 +0000

Canada's Healthy Workplace Month is scheduled from Oct. 5 to Nov. 1. The 2009 theme is: Healthy Mind, Healthy Body, Healthy Work. Feeling Great About Life!

As individuals and employees, we face a never-ending cycle of stress, which is seen as commonplace in our society. The Wellness Committee at the ��Ѹ��Դ��߿�Ƭ of Lethbridge is using this opportunity to increase employees' awareness of the importance of workplace health to personal and organizational performance.

The Life Balance Fair, Oct. 21, 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on the track of the 1st Choice Savings Centre for Sport and Wellness, has been created by the Wellness Committee to help employees find that balance in their personal and professional lives. It is not an either/or proposition, rather, a how much proposition.

The event has a large number of exhibitors – to celebrate all aspects of the theme – mind, body and work. Information on how to keep a healthy mind for you or your family; representatives from the Alzheimer's Society; what to do in case of emergency; and how to enhance your financial situation, are just a few of the topics exhibitors will address.

As well, representatives for treatment and therapy providers, including physiotherapy, chiropractor, massage, acupuncture, sleep and health information will all be available.

The Lethbridge and District Horticultural Society, the Campus Community Garden and Lethbridge Recreation and Leisure Services will also be present as we recognize these activities provide some balance to individuals' lives.

Creating and maintaining a healthy workplace will feature exhibits from U of L Risk and Safety Services, and benefits departments, the kinesiology department, WCB, and St. John's Ambulance.

There will also be ongoing demos of dancing, yoga and other fitness activities throughout the afternoon. And if you've never had the opportunity to try out the gym, there are free tours of the fitness centre.

Everything is designed to be interactive and there will be draw prizes for those who complete a Life Balance Fair passport. Prizes include a Wii Fit Sports Resort game. Open to all staff and faculty, a light lunch will also be available during the fair.

If you have questions contact Suzanne McIntosh, coordinator, wellness programs, at 403-332-5217.

October is Breast Health Awareness Month – remember to see Suzanne to get your card for the 'Health Challenge – Put Yourself First' contest. Every woman who has a mammogram (or pap test) before Oct. 26, 2009, will be entered in a draw for a $100 gift certificate to the Keg.

UNews - Wellness Committee

Heart Smart Challenge nears conclusion

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