Physical Wellness – Page 24

Parents – Keep in Shape!

What’s a healthy habit that will make you, and if you have children, feel and look better? Exercise!

Being active can prevent medical problems such as heart disease and diabetes. So, try to exercise most days of the week. Most adults should aim for a total of two and a half hours of moderate physical activity a week. Kids need at least an hour a day.

Here are some activities you can do, with or without children to make exercise part of your daily routine today:

Listen to your favorite music and dance or jump rope to the beat.
Follow an exercise program on television daily.
Do household chores together to music. Sweep and mop the floor, vacuum the carpet, or wash the windows.
Count and see how long you and your child can stretch out and strengthen your muscles. Your child should not hold the stretch for more than 30 seconds.
Do sit-ups, pull-ups, push-ups, and jumping jacks. But be sure to warm your muscles up first with light activity or movement.
Walk at a fast pace up and down an apartment hallway.

Always make sure that a child won’t get hurt when you exercise. For example, remove throw rugs or other tripping hazards when you work out at home.

Start slowly and build up your activity level gradually. Choose exercises that will make you sweat and breathe hard. But don’t overdo it. You should be able to talk when you are exercising.

Remember to drink plenty of fluids before and after you exercise. And have fun keeping in shape!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Arboretum Poker Walk Challenge – Week One

The arboretum trail kiosk near Scottwood Drive will have the challenge poster for the week of April 9th to April 15th. Check out the trail map at https://www.uwgb.edu/UWGBCMS/media/hr/Wellness%20Items/KioskMap.pdf.

More information about the Arboretum Poker Walk Challenge: https://blog.uwgb.edu/hr/2018/04/arboretum-poker-walk-challenge-2/

Arboretum Poker Walk Challenge

Ready to get back on the trails? Enjoy UW-Green Bay’s beautiful arboretum trails while participating in this fun wellness challenge for employees! This five-week challenge will last from Monday, April 9th to Friday, May 11th, and each week, there will be a poster like the image above on a trail kiosk. Simply take a photo of the poster (or a selfie with the poster!) with your phone when you are out on the trail, and then show your pic to the Kress Events Center front desk, the Human Resources front desk (CL 710), or email it to wellness@uwgb.edu to pick your playing card for that week. We’ll keep track of the cards you pick, and then at the end of the five weeks, we’ll see who has the best poker hand!

Don’t have a camera on your phone but want to participate? Please email wellness@uwgb.edu.

Where will the poster be each week? Click on this link to see which trail to take to get to that week’s poster.

Questions? Please email us at wellness@uwgb.edu or call ext. 2203.

Improve Sleep Through Focused Breathing

Few things are worse than lying awake in bed, agonizing about the fact that you’re not already asleep. You watch the minutes tick by, calculating how many hours of sleep you won’t be getting because you can’t turn your brain off.

If this is you, we’ve got a tip for you to try tonight: Focus on your breathing while you’re lying in bed. One method, described by the National Sleep Foundation, is called “4-7-8” breathing. Here’s how it works:

Exhale fully through your mouth, making a whooshing sound.
Close your eyes and inhale through your nose while counting to four (in your head, of course).
Hold your breath while counting to seven.
Exhale through your mouth, making that whooshing sound again, while counting to eight.
Repeat the sequence three more times.

This technique can help empty your mind of thoughts and focus on the rhythm of your breathing.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Fuel Your Body Right

If you’re feeling fatigued, think about what you’re eating. Food is essentially the fuel that runs your body. In simple terms, your body breaks the food you eat into molecules that release energy. The trick to reaching a healthy energy level and staying there is to eat foods that support energy production.

Carbohydrates are the primary source of foods that provide energy for your body. The trick is to choose “good” carbs and not “bad” carbs (white bread, white rice, doughnuts, and sugared sodas, for example).

Good carbs include:

High-fiber carbs. Fiber doesn’t supply energy, but it helps extend energy by slowing the body’s ability to break down and absorb sugar. This helps to level out energy highs and lows. High-fiber foods include 100 percent whole grains, nuts, seeds, berries, and leafy greens.
Low-glycemic carbs. These foods release energy slowly, giving your body a steady stream of it. They include legumes, rutabagas, asparagus, artichokes, pumpkin, broccoli, and onions. Since fiber slows your body’s breakdown and absorption of carbs, high-fiber foods are generally low on the glycemic index, too.

So next time you need more energy today, grab a good carb instead of a cup of coffee. See if that perks you up!

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC

Sleep better by eating this before bed

Try eating foods with tryptophan before bed for better sleep tonight.

You’ve likely heard that eating turkey makes people especially sleepy thanks to the sleep-inducing amino acid called tryptophan that it contains. Turns out there is science behind that tale. Some research shows that foods with tryptophan help your body product serotonin, which helps promote sleepiness. And there are foods with even more tryptophan than turkey. Try one or more of these tonight:

Walnuts
Pumpkin seeds
Soy foods
Shellfish
Eggs
Whole grains, like oatmeal
Dairy products

Carbohydrates help your brain use tryptophan. Proteins are the building blocks of tryptophan. So combinations of carbs and proteins can pack a bedtime punch. Try hummus on whole-grain crackers, cereal with milk, or peanut butter on whole-wheat bread.

Article from the StayWell Company, LLC