For many, the holidays were a joyous time to let loose and indulge. Unfortunately, those treats have a way of sneaking onto your waistline. No fear, UHD has what’s needed to help drop those extra pounds!
January is Weight Loss Awareness Month and as an employee of UHD, you have powerful resources available to help you get to or maintain a healthy weight. What’s even better? Many are available at little or no cost.
UHD Sports & Fitness
UHD Sports & Fitness provides the University community significant resources to help with health and fitness needs.
The Jesse H. Jones Student Life Center, run by Sports & Fitness, houses two gymnasiums, a multipurpose studio for fitness program classes, a fitness center with weight and cardiovascular equipment, health and fitness workshops and intramural sports. Membership to the Student Life Center is free of charge to UHD faculty, staff and students.
In addition, Sports & Fitness offers a Fit Break program that brings a personal trainer to your department for a free, 15-minute stretch and workout session as well as no cost self defense classes. For more information on these programs, contact Sports & Fitness at ext. 8225.
Sports & Fitness also offers unbeatable rates for services such as personal trainers, massages and certifications/trainings.
Likewise, nutrition is a big part of healthy weight and Sports & Fitness has that covered too. Several times each semester nutrition workshops are held to educate attendees on proper eating and how it can help overall body function. Individualized nutrition counseling is also available at a small fee.
Employee Wellness Program
The Employee Wellness Program seeks to increase awareness of positive health behaviors, motivate employees to voluntarily adopt healthier behaviors and provide opportunities and a supportive environment to foster positive lifestyle changes. Within the Employee Wellness Program is Fitness Release Time and Wellness Leave.
Fitness Release Time (FRT) is a program designed for full-time, benefits eligible staff that allows a weekly maximum of 1.5 hours (30 minutes three times a week) for participating in an exercise program and/or fitness activity offered in the UHD Student Life Center. Many employees that participate in FRT use their 30 minutes of time at lunch or at the beginning or end of their work day.
Wellness Leave is designed to encourage UHD employees to be aware of and reduce their health risks. A leave incentive of up to eight hours is given to employees who complete an online health risk assessment (HRA) and receive an annual comprehensive physical exam. Wellness Leave is available to full-time, benefits-eligible staff once per year and may be used for any purpose.
Additional Offerings
The 2016 Get Fit Texas State Agency Challenge encourages the spirit of competition between agencies and provides UHD faculty and staff a fun way to get fit. Employees take on the challenge by being physically active for 150 minutes per week for at least six weeks.
The competition runs through March 26 and agencies will be recognized for their completion percentage in the categories of small, midsize and large. The winner with the highest completion percentage is awarded the title of the Fittest State Agency in Texas. Anyone from UHD that signs up will receive a UHD water bottle and those that complete the challenge will receive a UHD Sports & Fitness t-shirt.
The Employee Assistance Program (EAP) is a referral program available to eligible UHD employees and their families. On the EAP website, wellness information is available to help with many weight loss and wellness goals. To learn more about UHD’s EAP Program, click here.
dumbbells, fresh green apple and measure tape