Health and Wellness

Lawrence University is excited to offer a Weight Management Group for all staff, faculty, and spouses/domestic partners.  This program is part of the initiatives we are starting on campus to help you with the things you wanted to learn more about, per the PHA surveys.  The group will be hosted by Laurie Ehlers, ThedaCare RN Educator.

The initial meeting will be held at Warch Campus Center – Kraemer Conference Room on Tuesday, March 28^th at noon.

A typical meeting will be 30 minutes in length and consist of learning topics, optional sharing of successes and/or opportunities you have had in your weight management journey, optional weigh-ins, and much more.

Everyone is welcome and there is no requirement to participate in a specific diet program. We hope to see you there!

WELLU Massage Sign-Up

One hour massages for $20?!?  You read the right!  Reserve your spot for a one hour massage at the YMCA for only $20.  Massage appointments can be made for any date during the spring term.  There is a limit of one massage per person per term.  Contact Erin Buenzli beginning March 27, 2017 to  schedule your appointment.

Healthy Living Series – Building Bone Basics

Presented by Kate Harrell on March 24^th from noon – 1:00 PM at the Warch Campus Center – Kraemer Room.  Also offered, are you interested in individual help from a dietician? Kate is available to meet with individual with employees and students for 30 minute dietician sessions on March 24^th between 1:00 – 3:00 PM. Please email Erin Buenzli to sign up.

Free Personal Training

Interested in free personal training? Kylie Fischer, Healthy Viking Intern, is accepting new clients for spring term. Email her at Kylie.r.fischer@lawrence.edu.

Stress: We all experience it.

Stress comes from a variety of sources—work commitments, family obligations, personal expectations. It may be the culmination of several events or commitments occurring at the same time that heightens our stress level. Even events that bring great joy to our lives—the birth of a child, a wedding, a job promotion—can bring about a significant increase in the stress we experience.

For some of us, stress can be a motivator. It revs us up and helps us set priorities. For others it’s exhausting and can be incredibly overwhelming.

Stress can make things feel “out of our control.” Stress is often what keeps us awake at night, makes it difficult to concentrate and has been shown to impact both our memory and mental functioning. Long-term exposure to high levels of stress can negatively impact our health in dramatic ways.

In order to optimize wellness, we need to find ways to manage stress effectively in our daily lives. Fortunately, here at Lawrence we have a number of stress relieving options available:

• Exercise has long been touted as a great stress reliever. Whether you work up a sweat on your lunch hour at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center or take a more leisurely walk around campus grounds, both form of exercise will help to relax you and reduce stress levels.
• The Mind Spa at the Buchanan Kiewit Wellness Center. Take time to make use of this great service, which offers guided meditation, light therapy and biofeedback.
• The Center for Spiritual and Religious Life is located in Sabin House and offers the opportunity for both quiet personal reflection and engaging conversation. Open daily from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. and then accessible by your ID until midnight, they welcome drop-in usage for rocking chair sitting, tea sipping, poetry or silence. Also, consider joining the weekly meditation session (Fridays 3:30–4 p.m.), or stopping in for “4^th Friday Soup and Salad,” a monthly lunch and discussion for LU employees. A library of resources is available for your personal use as well.
• Consider using the Employee Assistance Program. This free benefit allows you to receive professional, confidential counseling to help manage stress or address other issues that may be impacting your health and wellness.

Lastly, feel free to contact me directly at laurie.ehlers@lawrence.edu to set up a personal appointment if you’d like to discuss stress or any health-related issue you may be experiencing.

—Laurie Ehlers, RN educator

WELLU’s Healthy Living Series continues Friday, Jan. 13 with Weight Loss and You—Exercise and Nutrition from noon to 1 p.m. in the Warch Campus Center’s Kraemer Room.

This presentation will discuss successfully setting weight-loss goals and achieving them. We will also discuss what is new in the weight-loss world and learn more about the research coming from the National Weight Loss Control Registry.

New Class at the Wellness Center—Cuong Nhu Martial Arts
Starting Jan. 10 in the Wellness Center we are proud to offer Cuong Nhu Martial Arts. Classes will be on Tuesdays and Fridays from noon to 12:45 p.m. Classes are open to everyone and all skill levels. Anyone can become a good member in Cuong Nhu as long as they have the desire and determination to do so.

Cuong Nhu means “hard-soft” in Vietnamese. Cuong Nhu offers a wide variety of techniques that are the result of blending seven styles of martial arts. Cuong Nhu is excellent for self-defense. The wide variety of techniques enable one to apply techniques accordingly when faced with various situations.

Mark Your Calendar—Weight Loss & You: New Exercise & Nutrition Strategies to Reach Your Goals
Join us Friday, Jan. 13 from noon to 1 p.m. at the Warch Campus Center (Kraemer Room) for the Weight Loss & You presentation. This presentation will discuss successfully setting weight-loss goals and achieving them. We will also discuss what is new in the weight-loss world and learn more about the research coming from the National Weight Loss Control Registry.

WELLU Massage Sign-up
One-hour massages for $20?!? You read the right! Reserve your spot for a one-hour massage at the YMCA for only $20. Massage appointments can be made for any date during the second term. There is a limit of one massage per person per term. Contact Erin Buenzli to schedule your appointment.

Health Smart Class—Boot Camp
In partnership with the city of Appleton, we are excited to offer boot camp classes right here in downtown Appleton. Achieve your fitness goals with this high-energy, drill-based, interval session! Take charge of your day with this balanced workout combining cardio and strength exercises. We will use functional movements to improve the cardiovascular and muscular systems. Your agility, strength, cardiovascular fitness and core stabilization will be challenged through body-weight and equipment-based drills. Classes are held at the City Center Plaza. Please see this flier for registration information.

Managing Stress as a Working Parent
Many parents hold full- or part-time jobs. However, being a parent on its own is one of the hardest jobs anyone could take on. Couple that with the stress of a career and it can be too much for anyone. It’s not uncommon to experience guilt and frustration trying to balance both work and family obligations and end up focusing on the things you can’t do or what you’re missing out on. The key to managing both worlds is focusing on the things that you can accomplish and making the most of the time you have at work, with your family and on your own. Read this article from Hays Companies.