PHYSICAL WELLNESS ASSESSMENT

Read each statement carefully and respond honestly by using the following scoring:

Almost always = 2 points            Sometimes/occasionally = 1 point           Very seldom = 0 points

_____  1.  I exercise aerobically (vigorous, continuous) for 20 to 30 minutes at least three times per week.

_____  2.  I eat fruits, vegetables, and whole grains every day.

_____  3.  I avoid tobacco products.

_____  4.  I wear a seat belt while riding in and driving a car.

_____  5.  I deliberately minimize my intake of cholesterol, dietary fats, and oils.

_____  6.  I avoid drinking alcoholic beverages or I consume no more than one drink per day.

_____  7.  I get an adequate amount of sleep.

_____  8.  I have adequate coping mechanisms for dealing with stress.

_____  9.  I maintain a regular schedule of immunizations, physicals, dental checkups, and self-exams.

_____ 10. I maintain a reasonable weight, avoiding extremes of overweight and underweight.

_______ Total for Physical Wellness Dimension

Score: 15 to 20 Points –  Excellent strength in this dimension.

Score:  9 to 14 Points – There is room for improvement.  Look again at the items in which you scored 1 or 0.  What changes can you make to improve your score?

Score:  0 to 8 Points – This dimension needs a lot of work.  Look again at this dimension and challenge yourself to begin making small steps toward growth here.  Remember:  The goal is balanced wellness. 

MOVE MORE

Challenge yourself to move 3-4 minutes every hour! Set an alarm to go off every hour and prompt you to move around. Sedentary behavior—which usually means sitting or lying down while awake—has been linked to a shorter lifespan and a wide range of medical problems. 

HEALTHY EATING ON A BUDGET

Eating healthy doesn’t have to be expensive. Use these tips and materials from choosemyplate.gov to make healthy choices while staying within your budget.

• Healthy Eating on a Budget

• Create a Grocery Game Plan

KITCHEN TIPS

1. Eat Berries With Breakfast- Berries are an incredible food, rich in nutrients for our brain, our digestion, and they’re also a fresh source of produce that keep us fuller than processed cereals with dried fruits. Add 1/2 cup of your choice frozen or fresh berries to either a smoothie, oatmeal, or just have some with some unsweetened coconut yogurt and a little chia or flax seeds. Berries are also a great source of vitamin C to kickstart your immune system.

2. Eat One Green Food Per Day- Eating one green vegetable per day or one leafy green is a great way to get yourself healthier in the kitchen without much thought. It can be a cup of broccoli at dinner or spinach snuck into a smoothie. A cup of green beans at dinner or some leafy kale tossed with chopped sweet potato and some simple seasonings. Anything counts, just make sure it’s green, natural, and from the earth. These foods provide us with more nutrition than any food out there. They alkalize our bodies, promote mental wellness, and protect us from major forms of disease.

3. Drink a Glass of Water When You Wake Up- A new health practice that many observe, drinking water is essential to hydrating your body first thing in the day after a night long fast. It helps wake you up and is an excellent way to flush out your body first thing to keep you regular, a key part of staying healthy. Remember, your body contains (and needs) more water than most of us realize. Be sure you’re giving it enough, starting first thing — even before the coffee!

4. Cook Your Own Meals- Cooking at home does two things: It puts you in touch with the food that you’re using to keep you well and it keeps you away from restaurant options that someone else prepared for you, probably using ingredients that aren’t the best for you (excess oil, salt, sugar, etc.). Cooking your own meals is one of the best things to do for life long health, so see all of our food tips here to try all kinds of hacks in the kitchen.

5. Use Herbs Instead of All the Salt- Instead of shaking salt on all your food, try using herbs to flavor them instead. For breakfast, use cinnamon, cardamom, and ginger for a sweet and spicy flavor. For lunch, use Italian seasonings, sage, black pepper, and/or cayenne and turmeric. For dinner, try some pepper, oregano, basil, and thyme. These are some of the best ingredients that provide antioxidants, mood-boosting benefits, and even anti-cancer benefits. They also reduce blood pressure levels, unlike excess salt that can lead to hypertension (chronically high blood pressure). 

Current event activities

We challenge you to send a Valentine to someone!  This can be a spouse, partner, family member friend or anyone special!  

CAMPUS RESOURCES

If you would like assistance in find ways to develop your physical wellness, below you will find the resources available to you on campus that will assist you in getting and staying physically healthy.