Wellness & Health At Macalester -WHAM
News & Event Updates
WHAM Lunch & Learn: How to Eat as a Lifestyle
Food is not just energy and nutrition, it’s also culture, tradition, pleasure, and much more. How do you balance all these aspects to feel your best, prevent disease, and enjoy food? It took integrative nutritionist, Jesse Haas, multiple degrees and advanced certifications in nutrition to see the balancing point for these differing qualities. Let her make your path to understanding how to eat as a lifestyle more efficient! This presentation covers practical and reasonable “must know info” to sow the seeds of sustainable eating habits at any stage of life. Learn visual cues to balance macronutrient needs without calorie counting, weighing or measuring food, following a specific diet or logging your daily intake. Could eating in a way that supports your health be that simple? Yes…and delicious too! Bring your questions for the Q&A session that will follow this presentation. Learn more on our Lunch & Learn page.
Register to join us for lunch catered by Bon Appetit at 11:45 a.m. on Thursday, February 6 in the Leonard Center’s Hall of Fame room. The presentation will be from 12:00 to 12:50 p.m.
New Mindful Drinking Group Coaching Activity
Have you wondered what life might be like without alcohol? Want to try another approach to lowering your blood pressure? You’re in good company. This group coaching activity will be made up of a supportive community of your peers that focuses on creating awareness around your drinking habits.
At its core, coaching is about helping you identify and work towards your vision of your best life. Our health and well-being coach, Kelly, will partner with you to adopt a new mindset, attitude, and behaviors to help you achieve your vision. Peer support and accountability will enhance your success.
To learn more, visit our Well-being Activities page.
Spring Session 1 Classes for Staff and Faculty
Registration for our next session of classes opens on Tuesday, January 21. Start your Mondays with mindful movement in our Tai Chi/Qigong class. You’ll engage in carefully aligned, soft and repetitive movements that can improve strength, flexibility, balance, and empathy. Learn fundamental strength training movements and techniques in our Strength Training 101 class. Get your heart pumping and build strength with Circuit Training or Boot Camp. Feel centered and balanced amidst a busy day by practicing guided meditations and compassion practices in our Mindfulness class. And lastly, come dance the winter blahs away with upbeat music in our Dance Cardio class.
Register before Thursday, January 30 at 4 p.m. For class descriptions and to register, visit our WHAM Classes page.
Stay active from anywhere!
Whether you work from home or go into work, it’s easy to get so caught up in the day that you suddenly realize, it’s been hours since you last got up. Wellbeats is a free online resource with programs for all interests and ability levels. Check it out and get moving more, whether you’re working at home, on campus or on the go.
Try the Give Me a Work Break Program (Four Weeks). Manage stress and increase productivity during the work day with these short exercises and stretches. Wellbeats member, Jess, said “This felt great! A quick five minutes made such a difference.” Download the HealthPartners mobile app or sign in to healthpartners.com/wellbeing to explore all Wellbeats has to offer. For more work-break ideas, visit our Well-being Activities page.
Back pain holding you back? Try Healthy Back
Did you know that three in five adults will experience back pain this year?
A healthy back is essential to maintaining a good quality of life so whether you suffer from chronic back pain or are hoping to stop it before it starts, Healthy Back can help. This online tool has stretches and strengthening exercises that will empower you to keep your back healthy and strong all year long. Check out the power of a healthy back.
Plus, you and your spouse or partner can each earn a $150 reward card for completing two well-being activities by October 31, 2024.Download the HealthPartners mobile app or sign in to healthpartners.com/well-being to get your back in its best shape yet.
Connect with our health coach to reach your goals
It’s time to team up. A professional health coach can be the missing link between setting goals and meeting them. Talk one-on-one with our certified health coach, Kelly Fang, about what’s important to you. Whether that’s back pain, nutrition, sleep, stress management, exercise or something else – Kelly will work with you to address your unique needs.
If you’re on Macalester’s benefits plan, take your health assessment to get started at healthpartners.com/wellbeing or use the Living Well button on the myHP app. Then contact Kelly to set up a time. In-person, walking and video appointments are free and open to all staff, faculty, spouses and domestic partners, regardless of your benefits plan. To learn more, visit our Health Coaching page.