November/December 2019 Wash Post

The President’s Council on Wellness (PCOW) puts out a newsletter called the Wash Post which can be found across campus on bulletin boards and in campus bathrooms. An objective of the Wash Post is to educate all of us on wellness and encourage our students to attend campus wellness events and help them form good habits.

The November/December theme of the Wash Post is “Grattitude is Everything.” Being grateful and positive helps to improve our wellbeing emotionally and is contagious to others. Are you present in your surroundings and grateful for the little things in life? For some fun facts and ideas, check out the Wellness Website for the Wash Post, Volume 11.

Everyone is welcome to attend the PCOW’s next open meeting on Tuesday, November 12^th at 8:30am in the UC Colonnade Room. President Troy Paino will be our guest speaker this month and we will be sharing updates from each of our committees. If you or your colleagues are interested in learning more or serving on the President’s Council on Wellness, please email wellness@umw.edu.

How do you define Physical Wellness for yourself personally? Do you incorporate nutrition into your daily diet, go to the gym weekly, or maybe just take a walk/run daily? There are number of great ideas on being physical well and active, but what can we do to make it a goal or a daily habit in our lives? We will be showcasing several ideas this month on helping all of us become more physically well and the first suggestion is to just walk. Make an appointment with yourself and grab your walking shoes and some friends. Go explore Fredericksburg either by walking downtown or enjoying nature on the hiking trails or surrounding battlefields.

Another suggestion is to join the President Council on Wellness (PCOW) sponsored Mary Wash Moves Event or the PCOW Walking Wednesdays. Mary Wash Moves is a team of faculty and staff split up into 6 teams. Keep track of your steps during the month of October and the team with the highest average wins some great prizes. Join a team by writing your name on the team color tab you choose in the official tracking document. For more information, email wellness@umw.edu.

Walking Wednesdays is available for anyone who has free time between 1:00 and 2:00pm on any Wednesday. We start in front of Lee Hall and explore different routes across campus or downtown for about 30-45 minutes. PCOW will be putting more information out in the coming weeks about this easy, once a week walking event. Let’s start some healthy practices to become more physically well!

The UMW President’s Council on Wellness would like to introduce one of the six dimensions on our Wellness Wheel: Physical. Being physically active is one of the more frequently thought of dimensions on wellness.  Physical Wellness is defined as “taking care of your body by partaking in healthy practices such as exercise, a nutritious diet, and getting adequate sleep. Acknowledging the importance of your physical surroundings and taking an active role in sustaining it.” Whether you are going for a walk or bike ride, playing a game of soccer with your kids, or doing yoga in the park, participating in any form of physical activity each day is a great way to stay active and healthy. Being physically active reduces the risk of various chronic diseases, helps you function better, and leads to higher quality of sleep. According to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, adults require around 150-300 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic physical activity a week. What can you today to increase your “physical wellness”? Check out the Campus Recreation website at https://campusrec.umw.edu/ for some great ideas.

Research has shown that one’s ability to thrive as an employee, a student, and as an organization depends on their level of wellness. The UMW President’s Council on Wellness has defined six dimensions of wellness at UMW: Occupational, Social, Mental, Physical, Financial, and Spiritual. Each dimension of wellness will be introduced over the coming weeks in EagleEye posts and will outline one specific dimension, share a profile of a campus community member who is a great example of that dimension, and then some tips and tricks for each of us to put into practice and increase our own wellbeing in each dimension. Check out our website at https://students.umw.edu/campusrec/wellness/ or email us at wellness@umw.edu if you have questions or want to learn more.