Wanna get ACTIVE this New Year? I've got the scoop!!

This month an on going theme for my blog is self-improvement! So far I've talked about setting realistic goals and some free workshops you can use to improve yourself as a student.

Now that I've discussed how to get your mind in shape, I'm going to talk a little about how to get your body in shape in the new year!

Every New Year people seem to become really conscious about their health. Everyone seems to RUN out and buy a gym membership, use it for a few weeks but by the time March rolls around the gym trips have ended and all of a sudden health isn't on your mind.

I'm here to tell you that you CAN stick to your health goals without having to buy expensive gym memberships, and without losing motivation a few weeks later. A lot of times people lose momentum with their health related goals because they are trying to achieve these goals alone. When you have no one to be accountable to it is very easy to give up on goals.

How can we avoid this?? Well I would recommend getting involved with health related clubs and programs on campus. They provide you with a safe place to get active and community of people to keep you motivated and on track (pun TOTALLY intended!) with your goals.

So, WHAT can you do on-campus to get active?!?

1. Check out Tait McKensize Gym.
--I know what I just said about getting gym memberships, BUTTT in this case the Tait McKensize gym  is only $15 for a full calendar year! That's a GREAT deal for students!! Also at the gym you have access to all the field houses, the courts and pool. Plus there are tons of classes you can take (for an extra fee) if you have a particular interest. Check out their website for more info here.

2. Running Relief - Toronto Track and Field Centre
--I've talked about Running Relief in past blog posts like this one . So feel free to read that post for more information. The reason I bring it up here is that, this program provides runners with a community, a group of people that will support them as they attempt to achieve their health goals. Best part of this program?? IT'S COMPLETELY FREE!!! So you really have NOTHING to lose and EVERYTHING to gain!!

3. Intramurals
--A lot of times people forget that playing games can be a form of exercise, in some ways games are the best form of exercise because you don't even realize that you're working out! Each college runs intramurals for their students, check out some basic info about Intramurals here. Wanna get involved? Contact the athletics rep on your college council to sign up. They are a GREAT way to meet new people, make friends and get active!

4. The Active Living Challenge
--This is a great opportunity to get started with your health goals and stay motivated. Check out the latest episode of RED Zone TV to find out more about the Active Living Challenge.

I don't know about you but I LOVE prizes and so sticking to my health goals and getting rewarded for it seems like a win-win to me!

Hopefully you'll find a way to get active in this New Year. I wish you all the very best with your goals whatever they may be. Let me know if you decide to try anything I mentioned here, by commenting in the comments section below!

Until next time, remember, take it one day at a time and catch me in the Zone!

Nicole

Feeling Stressed? Why not try Running Relief?!?

Now that we have passed through the dark days of Midterms and things are calming down a bit you might find yourself full of nervous energy. You might be looking for a way to expel that energy in a healthy and positive way. OR perhaps you might be finding that you want to get a little more activity in your life, since its getting colder outside.

With this in mind I have a suggestion for you!! Have you ever heard of Running Relief?

Running Relief is a FREE running program run by Health Education and Promotion.

How does it work? 

-Run at your OWN pace

-Run with peer coaches who help with technique and keep you motivated

-Attend a running related 30min workshop once every other week

-Run for stress relief, to quit smoking, to become more healthful, for your own personal interest or just for fun!

Where does it happen? 

-RR takes place at the Toronto Track and Field Center (TTFC) which, conveniently enough is located RIGHT ON CAMPUS!! Check out this walking tour on how to get there!!

-It is important to note that use of the TTFC is FREE for all FULL TIME York students, all you have to do is ACTIVATE your YUCard. To activate your card you will need to bring PROOF that you are in fact a current full time York student. Once you activate your card you will be able to use the TTFC for free for the rest of the school year. 

Yeah this all sound GREAT but...When is it??

WHEN DOES IT HAPPEN?!?

-Running Relief happens 3 times a week

Monday, Wednesday and Thursday from 5:30-7:00pm. 

Friendly Tip

--There are lockers that you can use at the TTFC all you have to do is bring your own lock and a quarter. You can store your extra clothing and personal items so they are secure while you run. 

How HAPPY do they look!?!
They are READY TO RUN are you?

Piqued your interest? 

If you have any questions about Running Relief or you want to talk some more about how it all works feel free to check out Running Relief on YU Connect, or e-mail healthed@yorku.ca or healthedprojects@gmail.com , you can always tweet @healthedyork or like them on facebook as well!

Now GET OUT THERE and Run for Relief!!

Until next time...remember to take it one day at a time and catch me in the zone!

Nicole

Alcohol EDU? What the HECK it that??

They grow up so
QUICKLY!

University is all about new experiences! This is the time in your life where you are officially viewed as an adult...and with that designation comes independence like you've never experienced before. For some university students that translates to experimentation with alcohol. Experimentation is an important part of growing up and learning, however sometimes it can lead to the development of destructive habits.

This is what the site looks like.

In an effort to keep students as healthy and safe as possible, York has adopted a new alcohol education course that all incomming first year students living in residence, first year varsity athletes, orientation leaders, student leaders and residence life staff must complete before attending York in the fall. This educational tool is called "Alcohol EDU."

If you're anything like me the first time you heard about "Alcohol EDU" you thought...WHAT THE HECK IS THAT?

Well Alcohol EDU is an online alcohol abuse prevention program, it provides students with a personalized approach to alcohol education. It is specifically designed for ALL students; whether you're a frequent drinker, light or moderate drinker, or someone who does not drink at all.

The Pumpkin had
a little too much!

Whether you choose to drink or not, we believe that you may be in contact with people who do drink over the four years that you're at York, or in your life at some point (if you haven't already). This tool gives you some great tips on how to help a friend who may have had too much to drink.

Alcohol EDU is a two part education tool. The first part must be completed by AUGUST 31st 2012! Approximately 45 days later the second part will be e-mailed to you for you to complete. Part 1 takes about 90 mins and Part 2 takes only 15 mins.

As a member of Health Education and Promotion, and a Frosh Boss I've had to do Alcohol EDU in the past and I have to do it again this year and I can tell you from my own personal experience that it's really not that bad. I know that having to do an Alcohol Education program might seem a little lame but trust me this tool is actually pretty good. It's super interactive, it has short video clips and games that you play while you learn. I feel that I must mention that it is an American tool so they use A LOT of American terminology, things like "college" instead of "university" and the drinking age as "21" instead of "19". Just ignore all the Americanization, the Alcohol info is universally the same and that's what's most important.

Serving Sizes can be fun!

It was created with students in mind and so it's catered to help you understand your perception and use of Alcohol. I'm not really a drinker but after completing Alcohol EDU I learned that my perceptions of alcohol and people that drink are actually not representative of the realities of how people drink in university. I learned about serving sizes, how the body processes alcohol and a lot of other great info. Trust me you'll use it at some point in your life and it also makes a really great icebreaker convo at a party, "Hey did you know that 1 shot of hard liquor is the same as 1 12oz beer to your body?" Well maybe the convo won't go exactly like that :P !

For Colleges and Universities!

In case you were wondering, York is not the only school that uses the Alcohol EDU tool, other schools like Harvard, Princeton, Stanford and UCLA also use Alcohol EDU. I don't know about you...but that's good company to keep! I was super impressed when I found out that York can be grouped together with these prestigious schools who are also dedicated to keeping their students safe and healthy!

As an incomming student you have to do the program, but trust me you'll learn something that you didn't know before. Look at this program as an opportunity to learn something new about alcohol without having a painful or embarrassing experience attached.

Let me know what you think of Alcohol EDU when you take it!

P.S. If you... or your parents have any questions about Alcohol EDU at all feel free to contact Leah State at lstate@yorku.ca or 416-736-5196.

P.P.S. Check out some of the Alcohol EDU promo videos! They are pretty funny and I'm in a few of them...see if you can find me!

Health Ed Keeping York Healthy!

I can't tell you the number of times I've heard people on campus complaining that there are no health info services on campus. The number of times I've heard people say they wish there was someplace people could go to get info on nutrition or stress management or sexual health is truly shocking!!

Look for the LOGO!!

For those of you that don't know, Health Education and Promotion is an organization whose mission is to provide York students with health info about different topics that are of importance in the lives of university students. 

There are 10 different teams that cater to specific health topics and student needs, they are: 

1. Active Living Team                                              6. Sexual Health and Healthy Relationship Team

2. Nutrition and Healthy Eating Team                      7. Peer S.H.O.P (Sexual Health Outreach Program

3. Leave the Pack Behind (Smoking cessation)        8. Men's Health Team 

4. Stress Management and Mental Health Team       9. Glendon Campus Team

5. Alcohol and Other Drug Awareness Team         10. Health Education in Residence Team

As you can see Health Ed covers pretty much EVERYTHING you'll need to about health while you're at York. The best part about Health Ed in my opinion is the fact that they are a student staffed organization, all the people hosting the events and running them are other students. Students tend to be more comfortable talking about health issues with fellow students and that's exactly what you get at Health Ed. 

Look out for Health Ed they are literally EVERYWHERE on campus! Whenever an event is going on you'll see them in their signature GREEN shirts/ hoodies. 

They are on campus every day hosting walkabout games, where they dispense info by playing a games and giving away really cool free prizes. Every Wednesday they host Wellness Wednesday at both Keele and Glendon so if you have a question or you just want to play a game and win a prize walk up to the table and check them out!

If you want to drop by and talk to someone feel free to visit the Health Ed office South Ross 171. If you want to get in contact with them you can e-mail them healthed@yorku.ca or check out their AMAZING blog www.healthedyorku.tumblr.com or follow them on twitter @healthedyork

I've been a part of Health Ed for 4 years and I can honestly say that they are a great organization with great people. It's good to know that there are people on campus that you can talk to if you need them!