Happy New Year! New year’s resolution season is here! Have you made successful fitness-related resolutions in the past? Often goals go well for two months, one month, or maybe even just a week, and then go caput. This often happens if the goal is unreasonable and doesn’t take circumstances and reality into consideration. If you want to set a fitness goal, there are a few things to keep in mind so that you are celebrating your accomplishments rather than feeling down about a failed attempt to get active. Working out, being active, or starting a fitness routine looks different for everyone! Everyone can be active in their own way.
When figuring out what kind of activity and how often to engage, ask yourself (and your doctor) these questions:
- When was the last time I was physically active? What activity did I do and for how long?
- Do any injuries or physical conditions limit my ability to partake in certain activities?
- What type of exercise does my body want right now?
Once you have answered the above questions, come up with a SMART goal:
Specific – What activity are you going to do? Ex: walk around the neighborhood, attend a virtual bodyweight class, or do chair yoga
Measurable – Keep a log of your predetermined metrics, such as the number of steps or active minutes.
Achievable – Do you see this activity fitting into your schedule, or do you fear that you may be too busy?
Relevant – What type of activity brings you joy and is an activity you can participate in?
Time-based – How often will you perform this activity and for how long?
If you’re getting back into being active, then a SMART goal example would be: I will walk around my neighborhood for 30 minutes per day, five days a week, for four weeks during my lunch breaks.
Want to be a part of the 20% of people who accomplish their new year’s resolutions? Share your goal with just a couple of people. Research shows the more people we share our goals with, the less likely we will successfully follow through on them!
Source: Gollwitzer, P. M., Sheeran, P., Michalski, V., & Seifert, A. E. (2009). When intentions go public: Does social reality widen the intention-behavior gap?. Psychological science, 20(5), 612-618
Check out these online resources and Apps
Make creating a healthy habit stick! The Habitica app makes it fun to create a habit by making it a fun game. Download the Habitica app here.
Check out FitnessBlender.com for free, full-length workout videos available anytime, anywhere. Set filters based on duration, difficulty, body focus, training type, equipment/no equipment, and more to find the perfect workout just for you!
Click here to learn how much exercise you need.
Financial Wellbeing
Welcome to Principal, Covenant Care’s new financial wellbeing and 401(k) partner.
Free Webinar Series – Webinars are held the third Wednesday of every month, 9 a.m. PST
Fostering a world where financial security is accessible to all, even with market volatility. Learn about the financial topics most important to you with our monthly, award-winning webinar series.
This month’s Webinar – January 20th, 9:00 a.m. PST – Register for this Webinar
Expanding and protecting your savings
For some, saving is an important routine built into their everyday lives—and they may be looking for ways to save even more on their path toward financial independence.
During our January webinar, we’ll talk about additional ways to save if you’ve already maxed out your retirement savings accounts and you’ll learn about the different strategies you may want to consider to help protect your hard-earned income and assets. Register to join us and learn how you could be on your way to a more financially secure future.
Future Topics
- Expanding and protecting savings
- Debt and emergency savings (also in Spanish)
- HSAs and health care
- Reassessing finances after a market downturn
- Investing how-to
- Women and people of color
- Protecting assets and leaving a legacy (also in Spanish)
- Nearing retirement checklist
- Saving for college and student loans
- Estate planning
- Year-end tax prep and tax reform
- Social Security
Can’t make an upcoming webinar? View a replay anytime at Principal.com LearnNowOnDemand
Winner of the 2020 IMEA Star Awards, Participant Webinars, Experiential Education category, large asset level.
Topics and dates are subject to change.
Insurance products and plan administrative services are provided through Principal Life Insurance Company, a member of the Principal Financial Group®, Des Moines, Iowa 50392.
PT436A-09 | © 2020 Principal Financial Services, Inc. | 12/2020 | 1435367-122020
Mental and Emotional Wellbeing
Mindfulness Meditation – it’s not just a fad, it’s what the Doctor ordered!
Over 4,500 studies have confirmed the health and performance benefits of mindfulness; some even show that mindfulness meditation can be as effective in treating stress, anxiety and insomnia as medication.
Below are some actionable tips:
- Make mindfulness a habit.
The more we activate the intentional brain, the stronger it gets. Create a comfortable environment, set daily reminders, take advantage of guided meditations on Whil, start small and find a repeatable pattern that works for you. - Focus on your breath.
By training your brain to concentrate on your breath, you build muscle memory to be calm and focused anytime. Take slow deep inhalations, hold for 5 seconds, fully empty the lungs and repeat. - Be kind to yourself.
Give yourself time to learn new skills and behaviors. Try to remain relaxed, curious, patient and non-judgmental. New habits take time and can have ups and downs.
Start with just 5 minutes a day to be more present and focused. The more you practice, the better the results.
Click here to read “Get All Your Main Mindfulness Questions Answered, and other articles to support your emotional health.
Source: WHIL
To see why Doctors are recommending mindfulness meditation, check out – Just What the Doctor Ordered: Mental Health and Wellness Apps
From Kaiser Permanente | Read Now
Reminder- Kaiser Members have free access to the CALM, mindfulness Meditation App. See quick links below for more information.
Or, you can check-out another Mindfulness Meditation App called Headspace. Here are a few free resources:
New animated series on NETFLIX-
Headspace has teamed up with Netflix to bring you a new animated series: Headspace Guide to Meditation, narrated by Headspace co-founder Andy Puddicombe. Watch the trailer here.
Headspace is teaming up with Kevin Hart’s Laugh Out Loud Studios to produce exclusive content that blends comedy and mindfulness. “Kevin’s Energy Shots” are 2-minute morning pep talks that reframe a mindfulness practice in a way only Kevin can. Watch clip here.
Physical Health – Focus on Nutrition
BRING ON THE FRUITS AND VEGGIES!
Research has shown that people who regularly eat lots of fruits and vegetables get a wide variety of significant health benefits from doing so, including a reduced risk of certain cancers, heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. They are also great for digestive health, prevention of kidney stones, keeping your eyes healthy, and even helping you reach or maintain a healthy weight.
Here are a few examples of key nutrients found in many fruits and vegetables. See what those nutrients can do for you, and what you should eat to enjoy the benefits:
Nutrient Why It Matters Where to Get It
Fiber
Diets rich in dietary fiber have been shown to have a number of beneficial effects including decreased risk of coronary artery disease. Excellent vegetable sources: Navy beans, kidney beans, black beans, pinto beans, lima beans, white beans, soybeans, split peas, chick peas, black eyed peas, lentils, artichokes
Potassium
Diets rich in potassium may help to maintain a healthy blood pressure. Good fruit and vegetable sources: Bananas, sweet potatoes, tomato paste, tomato puree, beet greens, white potatoes, white beans, lima beans, cooked greens, carrot juice, prune juice
Vitamin A
Vitamin A keeps eyes and skin healthy and helps to protect against infections. Excellent fruit and vegetable sources: Sweet potatoes, pumpkin, carrots, spinach, turnip greens, mustard greens, kale, collard greens, winter squash, cantaloupe, red peppers, Chinese cabbage
Vitamin C
Vitamin C helps heal cuts and wounds and keep teeth and gums healthy. Excellent fruit and vegetable sources: Red and green peppers, kiwi, strawberries, sweet potatoes, kale, cantaloupe, broccoli, pineapple, Brussels sprouts, oranges, mangoes, tomato juice, cauliflower
Many nutritional experts recommend that people consume at least five different kinds of vegetables and two kinds of fruits each day. How much you need depends on your age, gender and activity level.
Source: HUB’s Chooswell Online Tip Sheet
Family Health/Working Parent Support
Whole Brain Parenting – Free Webinar! with Justin Waring Crane, MA, OTR/L
January 7th, 2021 | 12:00 – 1:00pm PST
This course introduces parents to concepts developed by Dr. Tina Payne Bryson and Dr. Dan Siegel in their books The Whole Brain Child and No Drama Discipline. Parents will learn how to manage their expectations of their kids based on their level of brain development and provide practical tools for connecting with their child, even during everyday conflict and chaos. The course is open to parents with children ages 0-14.
Key Concepts: redefining discipline, connect and redirect, “name it to tame it”, the four S’s, rigidity and chaos, nervous system must-knows, the Zones of Regulation, rupture and repair, navigating meltdowns.
Register for the Webinar here; If you are not able to attend, register anyway and you will receive a link to a recorded version when it’s available
Source: www.helpr-app.com
Recipe of the Month
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Protein Cookies
Ingredients
2 cups old-fashioned oats
¼ cup vanilla protein powder
1 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
6 tbsp unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 egg
½ cup sugar
¼ cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Instructions
Preheat oven to 350ºF. Use a food processor and finely grind 1 cup of the oats into flour. Combine the oat flour and whole oats, protein powder, baking soda, and salt in a small bowl. Set aside. In a large mixing bowl, cream together the softened butter and sugar. Add egg and vanilla to the mixing bowl, mix until combined. Slowly incorporate the dry ingredients into the mixing bowl. Stir in the chocolate chips. Scoop cookies into balls and place them on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Slightly pat the cookies down with your hand. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are just slightly starting to brown.
Source: https://www.graceandgoodeats.com/oatmeal-chocolate-chip-protein-cookies/
Quick Links
All Employees
- Headspace Meditation App
Free section- Weathering the Storm- to learn more, click here - Calm Meditation App
Free section for all, to access, click here - Employee Assistance Program (EAP)- from UNUM & Health Advocate. We are here for you 24/7 – 1-800-854-1446; www.unum.com/lifebalance – The EAP can help provide COVID-19 support, grief counseling, stress/anxiety relief, and more, and is available to all employees
- Medical Bill Saver Advantage via your EAP – 1-800-854-1446; www.unum.com/lifebalance and is available to all employees
- For the latest on COVID 19– CDC website at www.cdc.gov/coronavirus
- Your Financial Life Matters (Wells Fargo) – For more help, click here or call 1-844-258-7773 for a complimentary savings or credit conversation and receive a personalized plan. Representatives are available Monday through Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 7:00 p.m. Eastern Time
Kaiser Members
- Calm Meditation App
Full access free for Kaiser Members click here - MyStrength
Free to Kaiser Permanente members
to help support their emotional well-being.
Members can simply go to kp.org/selfcareapps and click ‘Get Started’ to register and use myStrength on their desktop, tablet or smartphone. - Class Pass – Learn More
- Kaiser Coronavirus Hotline (available 24/7) – (877) 813-7297. After speaking with a Kaiser Permanente representative, you will be directed to the appropriate care options.
- Kaiser’s COVID-19 Information and updates visit: CORONAVIRUS/COVID-19: Learn how to protect yourself and get care
Download the Healthy Lifestyles PDF here.