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Well-Being Activities

Go for the Gold at WHAM’s Olympics Party!

Calling all staff and faculty (armchair athletes or otherwise)!

Join WHAM in celebrating summer and get in the spirit of the Olympic games.

Grab your colleagues and celebrate the spirit of competition and international cooperation.  Test your skills at our “modified” Olympic events. Choose from: javelin throw, badminton, balance beam or target practice and finish with our egg on the spoon relay race. 

Visit our refueling station under the Leonard Center Portico for some delicious snacks and drinks. 

This Olympics themed field day is designed for maximum enjoyment, regardless of your athletic prowess.

Don’t miss out on the games!  Save the date: Shaw Field – Thursday, July 25, from 3:00 to 4:30 PM

Stay active at work, at home or on the go!

Are you getting enough movement during your workday? Whether you work from home or go into work, it’s easy to get so caught up in the day that you look up and suddenly, it’s been hours since you last got out of your chair. You can easily slip into a sedentary lifestyle without even knowing it.

But there’s good news! Wellbeats, an on-demand fitness tool available to you through HealthPartners Living Well can help get you moving more, even while you’re working, at home or on the go. Wellbeats has so many great tools to help you sneak in movement where you can.

Try Wellbeats

Want to get started right away? Try these quick tips for getting up and moving right now:

  • Set a reminder – We’re creatures of habit and if our watch or phone tells us to do something, we’ll do it, right? Setting a reminder on your phone or smartwatch really works. When that buzzer rings, get up to do something even as simple as refilling your water bottle or to use the bathroom.
  • Take lunch outdoors – Use your lunch break to walk around the neighborhood or the parking lot. You’ll return to work refreshed and energized, and you’ll have gotten valuable outdoor time that can even help you sleep better at night.
  • Meet standing up – If you work from home, get a standing desk or improvise with a sturdy box or two. Taking your meetings on your feet will do wonders for your body. You’ll also stand up straighter and feel more confident.

Living Well moment: Stretch break

Take a moment to change up your movement. This one is called “Workstation.” At your workstation, try to do some of these gentle standing stretches every 20 minutes or so while you’re working. Repeat on both sides where appropriate:

  1. Rise to tiptoes and slowly lower heels to ground.
  2. Balance on one leg.
  3. Without bending at the knee, stretch one leg out and raise, hold and lower.
  4. Take a step back from your workstation, then lean and step forward with one leg and hold for 15-20 seconds (like a modified lunge).

Get rewarded for healthy choices

You and your spouse can each earn a $150 reward card when you take your health assessment and complete two well-being activities by October 31, 2024. Just sign in to healthpartners.com/wellbeing to get started.

Questions?

When you thrive, we all thrive. If you have questions, contact Kelly Fang at [email protected]. For help signing on, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052 or email.  You can also download the HealthPartners mobile app to easily access your health assessment and track your activity progress.

Don’t underestimate the power of a healthy back. 

If you’ve ever thrown your back out or overexerted yourself, you know how damaging back pain can be. It’s easy to underappreciate your healthy back until pain makes it front of mind. Back pain is all too common, especially as you age, but it doesn’t have to be. 

Whether you suffer from chronic back pain or are hoping to stop it before it starts, Healthy Back, a well-being activity you have access to through HealthPartners Living Well can help. You’ll learn all the best ways to take care of your back including strategies and stretches to keep your back healthy and strong all year long. 

Try Healthy Back

Start improving your back health right now. You’ll get a lifetime of use out of your back with these tips for keeping it happy and healthy:

  1. Keep moving. Even if your back is actively hurting, it’s important to keep moving to prevent the muscles from weakening over time.
  2. Consider your core. Core muscles aren’t just those washboard abs you have in front. The stronger your core, the stronger and less prone to injury your back will be.
  3. Stand up. Add frequent standing and walking to your day. Sitting for too long shortens your hip flexors, puts extra strain on your back muscles and compresses your spine.
  4. Stand up straight. Good posture makes your mother happy, and it makes your back happy. Undue pressure is relieved from your neck and spine, allowing your back to function better.
  5. Seek physical therapy. If you slipped in the shower and your back still doesn’t feel quite right, or you’re noticing that an old sports injury is acting up more than it used to, it might be a good idea to ask your doctor about physical therapy. This can help address problems before they get worse and teach you stretches and movement to help your body stay pain-free.

Living Well moment

Take a moment to focus on you. Try this back stretch. Standing back extension: Stand tall with hands on hips, with thumbs on your lower back area. Pull your elbows back and lift your chin slightly upward, while extending your spine slightly up and back. Press your hips forward while keeping the muscles in your rear tightened. View more posture correction exercises.

Get rewarded for healthy choices

You and your spouse can each earn a $150 reward card when you take your health assessment and complete two well-being activities by October 31, 2024. Just sign in to healthpartners.com/wellbeing to get started.

Questions?

When you thrive, we all thrive. If you have questions, contact Kelly Fang at [email protected]. For help signing on, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052 or email.  You can also download the HealthPartners mobile app to easily access your health assessment and track your activity progress.

No matter your ability level, WHAM and HealthPartners Living Well have activities for you.

Whether it’s been days or years since you tried a fitness program, WHAM and HealthPartners Living Well give you choices to help you level up your physical activity. From walking or yoga to strength training and cardio, or anything in between, we have activity options to support your physical fitness goals, including:

  • 10,000 steps to encourage you set daily step goals and encourage you to make it to that magic number.
  • Wellbeats with opportunities for people of every age, interest, and ability level and 1,000+ virtual classes including yoga, strength training, running and walking, cycling, circuits, kickboxing, dance, work breaks, stretching, and more.
  • Healthy Back to help you strengthen and protect your back so you can avoid being one of the four in five people who experience back problems in their lifetime.
  • WHAM’s on-campus classes offer quick and effective ways to wellness for busy professionals who want to maximize their lunch break.
  • Health coaching helps you set realistic fitness goals, work through what’s getting in the way, and gives you someone to celebrate your success with.

Which options will move you to move more? Get moving today! Check out your activities.

And don’t forget about your nutrition goals. Healthy eating is equally as important to your physical health. Learn new habits with activities like Go for Fruits & Veggies and Sugar Smart.

Get rewarded for healthy choices

You can discover rewarding new habits while earning an incentive. By taking your health assessment and completing two well-being activities by October 31, 2024, you’ll be eligible to earn a $150 reward card.  If your spouse or partner is on our health plan, they’re also eligible to earn a $150 reward card.

Sign in to healthpartners.com/wellbeing to get started. You can also download the HealthPartners mobile app to easily access your health assessment and track your activity progress.

Questions?

Contact Kelly Fang at [email protected]. For help signing on, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052 or email.

Focus on your emotional well-being with HealthPartners Living Well.

When stress strikes or overwhelm sets in, you need healthy ways to deal. Because so much goes into your emotional well-being, HealthPartners Living Well has a wide variety of activities and resources to help you stay balanced and positive.

Discover your well-being activities.

Here are just a few resources to help you find balance:

  • myStrength is a flexible and comprehensive digital program with proven tools and activities for stress, depression, sleep and more.
  • Tackle Stress teaches stress management techniques via articles and videos to use in your daily life.
  • Wellbeats offers yoga, meditation and other mindfulness activities to support and bolster your emotional health.
  • Healthy Thinking strengthens your emotional fitness and builds healthy thinking habits.

Get rewarded for healthy choices

You can discover rewarding new habits while earning an incentive. By taking your health assessment and completing two well-being activities by October 31, 2024, you’ll be eligible to earn a $150 reward card.  If your spouse or partner is on our health plan, they’re also eligible to earn a $150 reward card.

Sign in to healthpartners.com/wellbeing to get started. You can also download the HealthPartners mobile app to easily access your health assessment and track your activity progress.

Questions?

Contact Kelly Fang at [email protected]. For help signing on, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052 or email.

You can thrive in all aspects of your health with HealthPartners Living Well.

Your best health comes when you care for both your body and your mind. That’s why HealthPartners Living Well and WHAM have activity options that serve both your emotional well-being and physical health.

Discover your activity options.

Get moving with programs like:

  • Wellbeats
  • 10,000 steps
  • Healthy Back

Discover new nutrition options and education with:

  • Plant Forward Health
  • Go for Fruits & Veggies
  • Sugar Smart

Find balance and mindfulness by checking out:

  • myStrength
  • Sleep Tracker
  • Stress Tracker

Whatever your health goals are, you’ll enjoy better outcomes when you look at the big picture. Focus on all of you and you’ll be well on your way to living happier and healthier.

Get rewarded for healthy choices

You can discover rewarding new habits while earning an incentive. By taking your health assessment and completing two well-being activities by October 31, 2024, you’ll earn a $150 reward card.  If your spouse or partner is on Macalester’s health plan, they’re also eligible to earn a reward card.

Sign in to healthpartners.com/wellbeing to get started. You can also download the HealthPartners mobile app to easily access your health assessment and track your activity progress.

Questions?

Contact Kelly Fang at [email protected]. For help signing on, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052 or email.

Plant forward eating may sound like a big change, especially for those of us who grew up with meat-centered meals. But never fear! Plant-forward highlights veggies, fruits, legumes and grains, but it isn’t limited to them. The main idea is to be mindful of adding and enjoying more plants as part of a balanced meal.

What to expect:

  • Explore plant-forward eating. Challenge yourself to eat more plant-based foods, try new skills and find ways to make plant-forward eating taste delicious!
  • Complete 14 steps. Check in each day to complete a step. New steps are available the day after completing the previous one. Steps are short – they often ask you to act, but other times, you just read information.
  • Create sustainable change. Reflect on your progress and track two or three new habits over the course of this activity.
  • Keep going. Once you’ve completed this activity, you can revisit the steps and continue tracking your habits!

Get started today!

This activity counts as a qualifying well-being activity for your wellness reward.  The deadline to earn your reward is October 31, 2024. If you have questions about WHAM or your wellness reward, contact Kelly Fang at [email protected]. For help signing on, call HealthPartners at 800-311-1052 or email.

Join the Nourish with Purpose Team Challenge!

Get ready to challenge yourself and your colleagues to focus on nutrition.

Sign up to compete against other divisions at Mac and add a dose of friendly competition!  Registration opens Monday, January 8.  The challenge runs January 22 to March 3.

What to expect:

  • Nurture your nutrition. To access the challenge you must have HealthPartners insurance through Macalester College.  To get started, complete your 2024 health assessment by signing in at healthpartners.com/wellbeing, then select the Nourish with Purpose Team Challenge.
  • Join a team. You’ll compete against other divisions at Mac to see which team can practice the most better-for-you eating habits.
  • Explore and track your nutrition habits for six weeks. Each week, you’ll get a new set of habits. Topics include meal planning, mindful eating, hydration, sustainability, adding better-for-you food and trying new things!
  • Earn apples for each habit you track. You’ll get one apple for each daily habit and five apples for a weekly community habit.
  • Help your team rise to the top. Encourage everyone to explore and track habits as many days as possible. The team with the highest total average apples wins!

Earn Rewards

Get credit for completing the challenge by tracking at least once a week.Forget to track? You’ll be able to go back one week in the challenge to track past habits.

The winning team will receive bragging rights and some sweet Macalester swag.  Plus individuals who complete their health assessment and the Nourish with Purpose Challenge by March 31, will be entered in a drawing to win a free iPad!

Contact Kelly Fang at [email protected] with questions.

To help support you in your path to Well-being, we offer a number of activities.  From tracking habits to moving more, there are a number of ways to participate in our Well-being programs.  Some of them include:

Digital activities:

  • Wellbeats
  • Go for Fruits & Veggies
  • Healthy Thinking
  • Choose to Lose
  • Tackle Stress
  • Sugar Smart

Digital trackers: 

  • 10,000 Steps
  • Sleep tracker
  • Stress tracker

Macalester Specific Activities

Here are a list of the eligible activities you can complete to earn your wellness incentive:

  • Preventive Care Visit (must be completed between September 1, 2023 and August 31, 2024; No tracking or forms are required on your part; HealthPartners will load the completion of your visit 3-5 months after your appointment
  • One 6-week WHAM activity class: Circuit Training, Boot Camp, Yoga, Mindfulness, etc.
  • One 4-6 week activity coordinated by Wellness Coach
  • Leonard Center/Gym: Exercise at the Leonard Center at Macalester, at home, or at a gym of your choice at least 12 times per month (or about 3 times per week) for a minimum of two months.
  • Personal Training: Complete at least 3 sessions with Macalester’s Personal Trainer before October 31, 2024
  • Attend at least 3 WHAM Lunch & Learns (virtually or in-person) between November 2023 and October 31, 2024
  • Nice Healthcare: You must use Nice once to refill a prescription, complete physical therapy or manage a chronic condition in order to count it as a qualifying activity.
  • EAP Wellness Seminars: Attend at least 3 live seminars or watch 3 on-demand webcasts before October 31, 2024
  • Macalester’s Wellness 5K Run/Walk in September 2024

Wellness Coaching

  • 3 in-person or video coaching sessions with Macalester’s on-site Wellness Coach from HealthPartners